Darkness Will Come
by Opera Dreamer
Summary: She was created for him. For all of her existence, Audrey Rose Lidder had been told one thing: one day, you're going to marry Draco Malfoy and he will rule the magical world. Who is her father and where is she from? Everybody knows, except Audrey...
1. Chapter 1

He sat in a hospital bed, staring at his feet sticking up from the bed. He could hear nurses and doctors walking around and mumbling quietly outside his door, but he ignored them all. His attention was focused on a small baby, sleeping soundly in the arms of her mother.

"We don't have anywhere to go." The woman whispered, her head lowered with a frown fixed on her still young face. No, she was a young woman, hardly a woman at all. To anybody, it would be all too clear that she was far too young to have a baby. He was aware of that, and so was she, but it hadn't been their choice. "I don't know what we're going to do…Draco, what do we do?"

Draco Malfoy, who had remained silent this entire time, swallowed the lump in his throat and relaxed against his starch bed. He glanced up at the young woman, who he now acknowledged as one of the most beautiful young women that he knew.

"I don't know what to do…all of the money's gone, and the house was torn down." He sighed as a headache started to pound through his head. "I don't know what to do…I feel like I've failed you." The young woman shook her head, leaning forward and grabbing his arm with her free hand.

"You haven't failed…you didn't do anything wrong, neither of us did. We couldn't have done anything to stop it, we were kids." Draco adjusted so that he could hold her hand, listening to the soft breathing of the baby.

"We're still kids." He muttered. The young woman sighed, intertwining their fingers together and giving his hand a good squeeze. His eyes remained focused on the baby, watching her flex her small fingers in her sleep. "I hate that I've done this to her." His eyes went back to hers and he sadly discovered that tears had started to streak down her face.

"I'm sorry, I can't help it." She quickly explained. "It's because of the hormones, I'm trying not to be so emotional, I know how much it bothers you."

"Audrey, please." She instantly stopped talking, but her chin continued to quiver as the tears kept falling down her red cheeks. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry that this had to happen to you…"

She was created for him.

For all of her existence, Audrey Rose Lidder had been told one thing: one day, you're going to marry Draco Malfoy and he will rule the magical world. She grew up never knowing her parents; she only knew that she had been born two years after Draco had been, their astrological signs coordinating perfectly to ensure a match. She was groomed and taught by nannies and tutors until she was three, when she was brought to live at the Malfoy Manor. Even though she was very young, Audrey would never forget that day. She wore her prettiest dress, grass green with a white bow in her hair. It was there on the front steps of the Manor that she met Draco. He wore a suit, a uniform from a private school. He was a fair child with pale skin and soft pink lips. She remembered him just staring at her with a blank expression, which remained unchanging even when his parents told him that Audrey was going to be his wife one day. He just sneered and turned away from her with his nose in the air.

"She looks like a poor person."

Those were the first and last words that Audrey would hear from Draco for the next two months. He started school at a small private academy, and Audrey found herself left alone with her governess, Ms. Dean. Despite her cold nature, Audrey found comfort from the attention earned from Narcissa. Apparently she had always wanted a daughter and adored the fact that she practically adopted the girl.

Audrey, unlike Draco, was schooled at home by two tutors: Ms. Edwards and Ms. Selman. She didn't mind being schooled separately from Draco. When he got home, Audrey still got to see him at dinner and spent a good amount of time with him while he did his homework. Then came the fateful year of Draco's eleventh birthday. He received his Hogwarts letter and it seemed almost instantly that preparations were being made for him to leave. Audrey seemed to be the only one that was upset about Draco leaving. Audrey had grown up with him; he was her only playmate even though he desperately tried to avoid her. What would she do when he was gone? The servants would just do what they were instructed to do and never socialized with her; that was just completely improper.

So Audrey sat alone with a caged bird in the Malfoy Manor, blooming silently without anybody to see.

"When should we plan for the ceremony?" Lucius Malfoy, usually a very good natured man, let his smirk falter under the heavy gaze of his wife.

"What ceremony?"

"Draco and Audrey's wedding, it's absolutely sinful that they continue to live in the same house without being married." Lucius chuckled, his laughter echoing against the marble ceilings.

"My dear, they don't even live in the same wing."

"That's true." Audrey quietly whispered to herself. She was just down the hallway, just in earshot of their conversation. It was rare that the entire family sat down to breakfast together, but today was a special occasion. Today was Draco's last morning before he got back on the train to begin the fall term at Hogwarts. It was a particularly sad day for Audrey, even though they didn't sleep or function in the same wing. Malfoy Manor was like a giant 'U' with Lucius and Narcissa living in the West Wing and Draco living in the East Wing. When Audrey moved in, a smaller, private wing was built. The South Wing stretched from the very back of the main house, reaching out into the elaborate green and white gardens. Each room had huge windows, earning the nickname of the Sun Wing. Her room was located at the very end of the hallway, the room practically made up of windows. It was always such a cheerful room, even on rainy days, and yet it housed such a depressed little girl. It was bad enough that Draco ignored her, but the fact that she was home schooled and had no real friends made it even worse. She just wished that she had somebody her own age to talk to. She couldn't even use her wand to entertain herself, seeing as it was locked after lessons every day. Life was so sad…

"They have to get married eventually, best to get it over and done with so that we can please our Lord." Audrey furrowed her brow together. They always seemed to refer to this man, their Lord. Audrey knew that they weren't the slightest bit religious. Maybe they just knew a guy named our Lord…but our was just spelled weird with a 'G' or an 'H' thrown in there.

"He is pleased enough with the fact that she's living here…although he would prefer that the boy actually propose to her and give her a ring." Narcissa smiled widely.

"Oh, that will be a splendid surprise for Audrey! She's been so depressed about Draco leaving, it would be nice for her to know that he actually cares."

"But I don't care, so why go spend money on an expensive piece of jewelry?" Audrey pursed her lips together as Draco strutted into the private dining room and plopped down at the table.

"Draco, don't be so cruel, Audrey is just trying to be there for you. She adores you!"

"It's awful, she follows me like a dog." Narcissa glared at her son as he casually began to eat his breakfast.

"If you would give her the time, I'm sure that you'd figure out that she has a lovely personality."

No, she really didn't. Audrey was overly quiet and hadn't had enough life experiences to have a personality. It was sad, but true.

"Maybe I would know that if she actually spoke."

"She does speak, just very softly and only when spoken to." There was a long pause at the table, and Audrey quietly wondered what was going on.

"You've had her trained that way, it's disgusting."


	2. Chapter 2

Audrey figured that she had hidden in the shadows long enough. She stepped out from behind the corner, making noise to warn them. She sheepishly smiled at Narcissa and Lucius, but kept her gaze off of Draco. She assumed that he didn't want to look at her.

"Good morning Audrey, how did you sleep?" Narcissa asked as she took her seat between her and Draco.

"Very well, thank you." Audrey said with her eyes down cast as she placed her linen napkin on her lap. She pushed aside the plate of sausages and eggs and opted for a bowl of mixed fruit, with extra strawberries, her favorite.

"Dear, you should try to eat some protein; you've got a long day ahead of you." Audrey politely shook her head.

"No thank you, I'll be all right with fruit and milk." She said sweetly. Without saying a word, Draco pulled over her plate and began eating her food, taking giant gulps of black coffee in between bites.

"Draco!"

"She said that she didn't want it!" He defended, instantly knowing what his mother was scolding him about.

"It's very impolite to take food without asking." Draco set down his cup and dropped his fork, staring at Audrey. She instantly blushed as soon as their eyes met, finding his gaze penetrating and violating.

"Do you want your food?" His voice was cold and cutting, his tone forced to be polite.

"No." She whispered.

"May I please have it?" She quickly nodded and Draco quickly went back to eating, glaring at his mother. "Happy?" Narcissa quickly tossed her napkin onto the flower paper China plate, quietly excusing herself from the table.

"Don't upset her." Lucius muttered, his voice low.

"Doesn't matter to me." Draco said with a cocky smirk on his face. "I'm gone most of the year and all I have to deal with is an angry letter or two." Lucius angrily folded his paper and slammed it down.

"I have to live with her, don't forget that!" Draco glanced over at his father with a cocked eyebrow.

"Am I just a giant cock block for you?" Lucius narrowed his eyes at Draco, gripping the edge of the table.

"You have been since you were four." His eyes suddenly went to Audrey. "And don't use such language in front of a lady." Draco scoffed as he wiped his mouth and stalked away from the table.

"She's not a lady, she's just some girl that you and mother forced upon me…no offense Audrey."

Audrey had long since put down her fork and quietly stared into her bowl. She knew that Draco didn't like her and didn't like the fact that they were engaged, but it still hurt every time to hear it.

"I'll go get my coat." Audrey whispered, pushing away from the table and rushing away. She began to list off in her mind all the things that Draco didn't like about her.

He hated the fact that they were engaged, so therefore he resented her.

He hated that his parents loved her and had let her move into his house.

He thought that her eyes were too big and were a horrible plain color.

Her hair was plain and was weird, the way that it was straight to her ears and then curled.

She didn't have an attractive body.

Her legs were like twigs.

The list went on and on and got quite vulgar. Yes, Draco's mind was usually in the gutter, but she just imagined that he couldn't help it…she really hoped that he couldn't help it.

The car ride to the train station was spent mostly in silence, mainly because Narcissa was still mad at Draco. Audrey was wedged awkwardly between them with her eyes downcast. She really hated it when Narcissa and Lucius tried to force her on Draco, insisting that they were a perfect match. Audrey was seriously starting to doubt that that was true, but would never question their decision.

Audrey nervously glanced over at Draco, surprised to find that he was staring down at her with that same piercing gaze.

"You've got an eyelash on your cheek." He muttered, reaching out with a delicate finger and pressing it gently against her cheek. Her face flushed red, but she held his gaze as she removed the eyelash and flicked it to the ground. Even though it seemed like a simple, helping task, it was possibly the most erotic thing that Audrey had ever experienced. Her stomach clenched as he settled back into his seat and stared blankly out the window. He had no idea of the effect that he had on her. She had no idea if he did this on purpose, but she knew for a fact that she would never get the chance to ask. Whether he cast her aside or took her as his wife, she would always have to stay obedient to him, no matter what. All her life, she had never had any other ambition then to be his wife. She didn't have dreams of a career or traveling the world. This was how it had always been, and it scared her to think that she might be abandoned without a hope of ever being able to take care of herself. Her education was limited, it had always been limited. Why had they let this happen to her?

When they pulled up to the train station, Audrey was surprised to see that it was practically empty. Judging by her trained eye, there were hardly any muggles walking around. She was curious as to why, but didn't say anything as they stepped out of the car and loaded Draco's trunk and his suitcase onto a trolley. He pushed it begrudgingly as Audrey walked beside him with Narcissa and Lucius behind them. It was like they were on an awkward date with his parents chaperoning. Usually, Audrey would be asked to sit in the car, but this year Narcissa insisted that she came inside. She was positively amazed by the sheer size of the structure encasing her.

They passed easily through the platform, finding the scene on the other side to be quite chaotic. Students and parents were rushing around, trying to get on trains and waving as they watched their children disappear the red walls of the elaborately decorated train. Draco went to join his friends, but Narcissa pulled him back and forced him to face Audrey.

"Say goodbye." She muttered into his ear. Draco simply glared at her, causing her to stare down at her feet. Lucius elbowed his son as students rushed past them in order to get a good seat on the train.

"Bye Audrey." He said through a clenched jaw. She managed to look up at him just as he grabbed his trolley and literally sprinted to the train where his friends were waiting.

"Goodbye Draco…I'll see you at Christmas." Audrey whispered, but he was already too far away from her to hear her. Narcissa gently grasped Audrey's shoulder, a sympathetic look on her face.

"Don't fret heard, things will be different at the Holiday Party, I can promise you that." Audrey stared up at her with wide eyes.

"How can you promise that?" A smirk slowly crept onto Narcissa's face as she watched the train slowly pull away.

"I've got a plan."


	3. Chapter 3

Wow, some serious hate and it's only been two chapters. I don't mind harsh reviews, but there's no need to be mean.

...

Months passed without hardly a single word from Draco. Narcissa would send him a letter at least once a week, while Audrey had resigned to writing once a month. She was convinced that it was a waste of paper, but she continued to write to him on her cream stationary with her initials at the top in grass green. Most of the things that she sent Draco were green, green being his absolute favorite color. She figured that's why Narcissa kept buying her green things.

The Holiday Party had been on practically every person's mind in the manor. In the morning, Audrey would have her usual lessons followed by a quick lunch and her afternoons were spent practicing her conversational skills, practicing her waltzing, and memorizing every name and face of the guests that would be attending. All the while, with her giant binders of names and pictures, Audrey wondered how this was going to impress Draco.

She was fitted for an evening gown, emerald green of course, and had picked out a hairstyle and appropriate shoes and jewels. That was all well and good, but Audrey was convinced that she would spend the night forced to stand next to Draco while they were cheered by the guests. It was odd, they were always so excited to see the pair together. She could never understand why, but they were always so excited. Audrey sometimes wished that somebody would tell her why she and Draco had been paired up.

When the day came to fetch Draco from the train station, for the first time, Audrey was asked to stay behind.

"We want to take Draco shopping for a new formal tuxedo, and you would find that horrendously boring, dear." Audrey watched sadly as Narcissa and Lucius pulled on their long coats. "You can stay here and finish practicing your dancing."

"Yes ma'am." Audrey said, watching them wave goodbye and rush through the already snowy road to their waiting car. She slowly shut the door, hearing the click echo around her.

Alone, again.

The majority of the house staff was in the lower quarters of the house, taking breaks and preparing dinner. This situation was a common one, but for some reason, today felt different. She always went with them to pick up Draco, no matter what errands had to be run afterwards. Why had they chosen today to leave her behind?

She went into the living room and slowly began to push the furniture off to the side. She started the music and closed her eyes, holding out her arms. She pretended that she was in Draco's arms, happily clasping her hand and guiding her with a sure hand on the small of her back. Audrey allowed herself this small fantasy, positive that this would never actually happen at the party. In that moment, Audrey was Cinderella, and Draco was her Prince Charming.

An urgent knock at the door suddenly ripped Audrey from her fantasy. She stumbled slightly as she listened and waited, expecting to hear the footsteps of their Butler Simon rushing to answer the door. Her heart started to race when the person knocked on the door again. Without shutting off the swooping waltz, Audrey ran to answer the door as the person knocked again. Not bothering to check through the peep hole, Audrey swung open the door only to be met with a strong gust of wind. A tall figure clad in black rushed into the entrance hall and avidly began to brush the snow off of his shoulders. Audrey slammed the door shut with her knees shaking. When she looked up, the breath literally caught in her throat. The most handsome man that she had ever seen was simply standing there with a sweet grin on his face.

"Awful weather today." He said. Audrey nodded, still unable to breath. He chuckled and stuck out a large hand. "My name is Emerson Reynolds, my father is a friend of Mr. Malfoy's. You must be Audrey Lidder." Audrey finally managed to compose herself, extending her hand with a small smile.

"Yes, I'm Audrey, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Please, may I take your jacket?" Without his consent, Audrey pulled off his jacket and shook it free of remaining snow. She quickly hung it and returned to Emerson, a blush gracing her cheeks as he smiled at her.

He was so handsome, like how a prince should look. His skin was tan, suggesting that he was partially another race. His black hair was slicked back and curled slightly at the base of his neck. His bone structure was pure perfection, framing two warm, piercing green eyes. He was at least six inches taller than her and had the most alluring smile that made Audrey's heart swoon. He was perfect and…the exact opposite of Draco.

"Would you like some tea?" She asked, leading him into the living room where she quickly turned off the music. He nodded with a smirk as Audrey struggled to move the furniture back into place.

"That would be nice, but only if you let me move the furniture." He insisted, nudging her out of the way and easily sliding the couch and two armchairs back into place. Audrey rang for tea and motioned for him to sit down. "Lucius invited me to dinner, I hope that that's all right." Audrey shrugged.

"It doesn't matter much to me, I just live here." Emerson laughed, the hearty sound filling the room as their tea was brought.

"Funny and pretty, it's a mystery why Lucius and Narcissa don't talk about you more."

"I'm not their daughter." Audrey quickly responded. "I'm not even related by blood; I'm just a girl that was abandoned as an infant that the Malfoy family brought into their home out of the goodness of their hearts." Audrey sipped her tea as she rewound the story in her head. It was what she was supposed to tell people. She never mentioned her engagement to Draco; only that Lucius and Narcissa were saintly people. Emerson raised an eyebrow, watching her with his careful green eyes.

"Are you sure that that's the story that you want to tell me?" Audrey stopped midmotion in drinking her tea, the steam warming her upper lip and nose and making her sweat. She quickly set down her cup and dabbed her face dry with a napkin.

"I'm not sure I understand." She said innocently. Emerson chuckled, this time his laughter far more reserved.

"They've got you well trained."

Something odd flared up in Audrey's stomach, and she was surprised to feel such absolute anger. She was not a dog…but couldn't deny the fact that she had a remarkable amount of training as to what to tell people when they asked a certain question.

"Don't worry, I'm aware of your…unique situation. There's no need to waste a story on me." She pushed away her tea, no longer finding it appetizing. "Tell me, what were you doing before I arrived?" Of course he was referring to the pushed aside furniture and the music that had filled the house.

"I was practicing my dancing, for the Holiday party…will you be there?" Audrey didn't know why she had asked that question. Why should she have cared? The only person that she had to focus on was Draco, not this handsome newcomer.

"I have been so fortunate as to receive an invitation." Emerson put aside his cup and stood, offering Audrey his hand. "Come, maybe I can help you practice." She quickly shook her head, shrinking back in her chair.

"No thank you, that wouldn't be very proper of me." Emerson chuckled, flashing an all too charming smile.

"My intentions are merely to help you impress all the important people that you're going to meet tomorrow." He stretched out his hand further. "I'm sure that practicing by yourself isn't much fun." It wasn't, but Audrey could never admit that. This whole afternoon tea session was completely scandalous. She was alone with a man that she didn't know; Narcissa would scream if she walked in on this quaint scene.

"I could never do that." She whispered. He continued to stand there, his hand reaching for hers. Part of her wanted to take his hand, if only to have physical contact from somebody. This man, although he was probably completely unaware, he had given her everything that she had ever wanted from Draco, and she had just met this man. She inwardly battled with her morals and the fact that she wanted this man to hold her and dance with her.

Oh yes, to dance with this man would be a sin, but for Audrey's sanity, she took his hand. He escorted her to the large entrance hall and with a snap, started the music again. It was a small magical thing, and Audrey shouldn't have been surprised, but she suddenly felt very on edge. They took their positions and Audrey jumped when he placed a warm hand on her hip.

"Sorry, did that startle you?" Audrey felt her face burn as he watched her.

"Yes." She admitted, clearly embarrassed. "Nobody…I've never…you're…"

"Draco has always been your dance partner and you feel strange dancing with another man." He quickly explained as if he had read her thoughts.

"I'm glad that you understand." She muttered. They slowly began to move around the floor, Audrey's eyes focused on her feet. Emerson chuckled as the waltz picked up and began to go faster.

"Keep your chin up, and appear confident." He whispered, causing her head to shoot up. He smiled down at her and Audrey couldn't help but smile back at him. Their steps became larger and Audrey felt her skirt flare well above her knees. She should have cared that she was indecently exposing herself, but she threw caution to the wind.

For the first time, in a very long time, Audrey was happy.

The front door swung open and Audrey glanced over her shoulder to see Draco with his parents. Emerson stopped, but continued to hold her, even tightening his grip.

"Oh Emerson, when did you get here?" Narcissa asked with a pleasant smile on her face. Audrey had expected her to scream and slap her in the face, but Narcissa almost seemed happy to see Audrey in such a compromising position. Emerson finally let go of her, but he still continued to stand close to her.

"I only just arrived." He explained. "And I found this lovely young girl practicing her waltzing, so I thought that I'd give her a hand." Narcissa's smile only widened.

"How lovely, it's wonderful to see you again, is it possible that you've grown even more handsome?" Emerson smirked as their jackets were removed and shut away in the front closet. Audrey awkwardly stood with Emerson and couldn't help but notice the look on Draco's face. He was glaring at Emerson with eyes filled with the darkest of hate. There was obviously something going on between them, but it wasn't Audrey's place to prod into their private lives. She smoothed down her pleated skirt and rushed into the other room to shut off the music. Draco slowly walked towards Emerson with a scowl on his face.

"What the hell are you doing here Reynolds?" He asked angrily. He noted that Emerson followed Audrey with an almost penetrating gaze. It was sick, seeing as Audrey was fourteen and he was twenty six.

"I was invited, Draco." Emerson replied, finally pulling his eyes away from Audrey. "And it looked like Audrey could use a dance partner." Emerson perked up and pushed past Draco to shake Lucius's hand. "Lucius, wonderful to see you."


	4. Chapter 4

Draco went straight to the kitchen where his mother stood watching the staff quickly prepare an overly elaborate dinner.

"What the fuck is he doing here?" He asked through clenched teeth. Narcissa never looked over at her son, only keeping her eyes on the staff.

"Language darling." She told him. "And I invited Emerson here to remind you how fragile your position is. Or have you forgotten Emerson's former role?"

Draco let out a heavy sigh while he inwardly scowled. Emerson had once been in his spot, as the next leader of the Death Eaters and Lord Voldermort's heir. But then he had done something, Draco had never been given specific details, and all the power was taken away from him. Draco knew that to get something like that taken away from somebody who had built such a great reputation with Lord Voldermort meant that Emerson must have done something that was completely unforgivable. Luckily, Draco had just been born and he was a prime candidate to be groomed to be Lord Voldermort's new successor. He had often seen Emerson and he was always invited to every party that was thrown. He was always so charming and always knew the right thing to say in any situation, but underneath his smile Draco could see that there was something so fake about him. You could tell that he was still vying for his previous spot, waiting for Draco to do something that would get him tossed aside.

"Why on earth would you invite him to dinner?"

"I didn't have a choice." She admitted. "Our Lord has been aware of your actions…about how distant you've been from Audrey. He is not pleased and is now reconsidering Emerson to be his successor." Draco's expression instantly dropped, his stomach clenching with fear.

"But…why?" Narcissa pursed her lips together.

"Because of your mistreatment of Audrey!" She exclaimed. Draco's jaw dropped as his mother's cheeks turned bright pink.

"So…to keep my position, all I have to do is pay attention to her?" Narcissa scoffed.

"You know that He will see right through those attempts." She stared at him, her expression visibly sad. "You should have given her the attention that we asked you to give her when you were children…then nobody would be resorting to such drastic measures…"

"So what the fuck am I supposed to do?"

"Language!" Narcissa screamed, making the entire kitchen staff jump. "If you want to keep the power that has been so foolishly given to you, then you had better start associating with Audrey and allow yourself to like her…her affections are the only chance that you have of ever keeping your position." Draco sighed, crossing his arms.

"Fine…then she had better be seated next to me and far away from…Reynolds…"

…

"Where do you go to school?" Audrey found herself blushing and smiling as her attentions were drawn to Emerson's beautiful smile.

"I'm taught here, in a room upstairs…I think that they've set it up like a classroom, but I'm not sure, I've never seen a classroom before." Emerson laughed before taking a small sip from his wine glass. Draco should have realized that they would use the formal dining room for tonight. While he was seated next to Audrey like he had asked, in accordance with formal seating, the family sat closest to the head of the table while the guests sat in order of how important they were. So of course, Audrey and Emerson had been placed right across from each other, in the perfect vantage point to stare at each other and make Draco sick. He just could just kill his mother for this…

"Lucius, you should keep this girl home schooled; she might never come back if you let her out." Audrey quickly shook her head.

"No, I am indebted to the Malfoy Family. I will stay if they tell me to stay and go if they ask me to leave." Draco almost gagged when he saw the look that Emerson gave Audrey. He almost thought that he was going to crawl under the table and rape Audrey. Seriously, it was weird the way that he looked at her, practically groping her with his eyes. It was only weirder because he was twelve years older than her. It was like some Victorian arranged marriage.

Gross.

"What do you do for a living, Emerson?" Audrey asked sweetly. There was a long pause where Emerson didn't answer. There was something odd about the way that he seemed to be staling the question.

"I…help my father with his business; he produces steel and other precious metals." Draco narrowed his eyes as Audrey's eyes began to sparkle. Emerson didn't do shit. He was a trust fund baby that enjoyed the money that his father made from the muggle construction industry. "I would be happy to give you a private tour of the factory, it's quite fascinating." Audrey nodded.

"It must be absolutely incredible to work in such an important factory."

"Draco, I got a letter from Pansy today." Narcissa suddenly said, completely changing the subject. Draco's throat clenched. Shit, another problem. "She wanted to confirm the time of the party. Apparently, she thinks that she's your date."

Audrey's heart began to pound in her ears. Draco had a date? But she was always his date. Oh God…maybe he had finally decided. He wasn't going to marry her and had already moved onto another girl. Pansy, that was a pretty name. She must have been gorgeous for Draco to like her.

"Yes, I invited her to come, but that doesn't mean that she's my date. I invited other friends too." Narcissa raised an eyebrow.

"Really? From what I've been told, you two were dating. And it was at the beginning of June, or is Professor Snape mistaken in your social activities?" Draco pursed his lips together, catching Emerson's cocky smirk out of the corner of his eye. His mother just didn't know when to quit.

"No…he's not mistaken, but it's nothing serious." He glanced at Audrey to see that she was staring down at her lap, her hands shaking. "It's nothing serious." He insisted. She nodded and pushed back from the table.

"May I please be excused?"

She didn't wait for an answer. With her head down and her face hidden, Audrey rushed away from the table and down the hall, heading for her wing.

"She's a very sensitive girl, you have to be careful about what you do or say to her."

"What the fuck do you know Reynolds? You just met her today!" His cocky smirk didn't disappear, but only widened.

"Yes, and yet I still know her better then you, even after living with her for eleven years." Draco slammed away from the table, running after Audrey. It was easy to find her. She had left the door open to her bedroom and he could see her small body curled up in the moonlight. He felt a funny tightening in his stomach as he slowly approached her. In the moonlight, her usually dull hair seemed to sparkle while her pale skin suddenly looked luminescent. It was the first time that Draco recognized the fact that Audrey was actually really pretty. He knocked on the door, hesitating to step outside.

"Audrey…can I sit with you?"

"Doesn't matter to me what you do." Draco remained in the doorway, staring at her as she stared sadly out into the gardens.

"I suppose the question I should ask is do you want me to sit with you…or do you want me to leave you alone?" Audrey nervously bit her lower lip, finally offering Draco a hesitant glance.

"No…you can stay, if you want." He walked onto her balcony and sat next to her, making sure not to sit too close or too far away.

"I should have told you about Pansy."

"No, I understand." She quickly said. "You were never interested in me like that; it's only natural that you find somebody else to be with." Draco raised an eyebrow. She had him down to a science and it was almost painful to see. Of course she had been watching him and been trained to know everything he liked and disliked. And then there was Draco, who didn't know a thing about her.

"I still should have told you." Audrey pulled at the hem of her skirt, playing with a stray string that happened to be sticking out.

"No matter what you do, or who you end up with, just know that I'll always be waiting for you." Audrey stopped herself from uttering the next thought that popped into her head. She wanted to tell Draco that she loved him; that she would love him no matter what he did to her.

"You're okay with that?" Audrey quickly nodded.

"I've always been okay with it." She said simply. "You don't understand, this is all that I've wanted since I was born." Draco scoffed.

"But…what if you don't get what you want?" Audrey hesitated, staring out over the vast green lawn.

"I don't know what I'll do." She whispered. "I guess I'll just have to wait and see."

"And you don't see a problem with that?" Audrey slowly nodded, offering him a small smile.

"No…I don't see a problem with waiting for you."

Draco pushed up from beside Audrey, offering her a hand up. She took it, surprised that he continued to hold her hand even after she had stood up.

"I get the first dance." He insisted. Audrey smiled, but there was a strange pulling in her chest that made her feel extremely uncomfortable. Where had all this attention come from? Smiling at her, holding her hand; was this all because Emerson was here? Was this a competition between them? Either way, Audrey didn't really care. Draco was holding her hand, not because he was being forced to, but because he wanted to. So her smile widened and her grip tightened around Draco's hand.

"You can have as many dances as you want."


	5. Chapter 5

Such love, it's so wonderful! I like that I'm making some of you think, it's absolutely lovely! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. Please keep reading and I promise that there will be many more chapters!

...

"I think that you know why you were invited here tonight." Emerson, feeling quite confident in himself, nodded. He, Narcissa, and Lucius had retired to the small sitting room, lounging uncomfortably in front of a blazing fire.

"I received our Lord's letter two days ago, I am aware of the situation. I must say, this has to be an embarrassing situation for you two." Lucius pursed his lips together.

"It is not embarrassing for us, but it is embarrassing for Draco. He was given something and now he's compromised it by not doing what he was told." The thought of Draco's failure made Lucius's blood boil, but it only stroked Emerson's ego.

"Come on, how hard can it be to win over the affections of an extremely impressionable fourteen-year-old girl?" Narcissa raised an eyebrow.

"Clearly, it has been proven to be very difficult for Draco." She admitted. "Unfortunately, that is why you are here. Apparently our Lord no longer has any confidence in Draco's abilities." Emerson sipped the brandy that had been given to him.

"I will expect my fair share of alone time with her, just to make things fair." Lucius nodded.

"If you insist."

"Oh I don't insist." Emerson replied with a slight laugh. "I am simply following the orders of our Lord."

"As are we." Narcissa reminded him. "But I won't allow you to mock our son or interfere with his progress with Audrey." Emerson downed the rest of his brandy, slamming down his glass and slowly standing.

"I'll play fair, but I can tell you now, I'll win that girl over; that's a guarantee." He nodded to each of them, his smile widening. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a party to prepare for."

…

The next day, Audrey was forced to stare at herself in the mirror and had to face the question that she always avoided asking and answering:

Am I pretty?

Of course, the better question was did Draco think that she was pretty? Narcissa seemed pretty sure of that fact.

"I know that you're worried about Draco bringing that girl, but she won't be able to compare to you. Her family has good standing, but they have no money at all. Even if Draco was serious about his feelings for that girl, the match would be completely inappropriate." Narcissa was pacing back and forth behind Audrey as a tall woman sprayed and tightly curled her hair. "You on the other hand have perfect breeding with quite the fortune waiting for you when you turn eighteen."

Audrey perked up when she heard the words 'great fortune.' It was rare that Narcissa or Lucius let something slip about her parents. She knew that her parents were of good standing, but there had never been any mention of money. That was actually quite reassuring. If Draco did in fact cast her aside and go for this girl or any other girl, it was good to know that she would have something to fall back on. She could use the money, get a small flat in the city, and maybe get a part time job. It would be a simple life, without much to show for it in the end, but Audrey had to have an exit strategy just in case Draco did eventually abandon her. Narcissa noticed the distant expression on Audrey's face and smiled.

"Are you paying attention, dear?"

"Of course." Audrey instantly replied. "I was just…looking at my hair, it's so lovely."

Honestly, Audrey felt that her hair was far too extravagant for her tastes. There were hair extensions that went almost to her knees that had been attached to give her a glorious crown of chestnut curls. A long string of diamonds had been intertwined with her bunch of curls, and if she turned her head right, it looked like her head was glowing like she was some celestial being. The makeup made her eyes look smaller and her lips look bigger, so she would at least be passable for tonight, at least to Narcissa's standards.

"I know that Draco will be pleased." Narcissa insisted. As she was about to order Audrey's gown brought in, a knock at the door made them perk up. "Come in." Stephanie, a pug nosed maid with overly large lips, came into the room with her head bowed.

"Begging your pardon Mistress, but Mr. Reynolds is here to see Ms. Audrey." Narcissa instantly shook her head.

"Absolutely not, Ms. Audrey will not see anybody until the party."

"He said that you'd say that." She said, finally picking up her head. "And he says that he won't take more than five minutes…and he asked me to tell you that you promised to be fair." Narcissa crossed her arms, feeling her face grow hot.

"Fine…you may show him in." Stephanie curtsied and rushed away. Audrey curiously stared at Narcissa as she went to her walk-in-closet, clearly trying to focus on something other than Emerson. If they didn't like Emerson and didn't want him here, then why had he been invited?"

"I think you grew more beautiful since I saw you last." Audrey instantly rose from the small silk stool with a small smile and a blush. Emerson looked so handsome in a fitted formal tuxedo with a thin black tie. His black hair had been slicked back and his eyes seemed to sparkle. The thing that made Audrey's blush grow was the giant bouquet of white roses that he carried in his arms. Nobody had ever given Audrey flowers, let alone such a large amount of flowers.

"Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed as she rushed over and surrounded herself with the smell of fresh flowers. "Are these for me?"

"I could think of no better gift." He said as he passed the roses onto a waiting maid. "Put these in water and put them in Ms. Audrey's room." Audrey beamed at the prospect of having fresh flowers waiting for her when she returned later that night.

"What's the occasion?" She asked innocently.

"Honestly, I couldn't stop thinking about you." He admitted like a love sick child. "Our meeting stayed in my mind and played all night. You have completely enchanted me and I couldn't wait another moment before I saw you." Emerson took her hand, gently kissing the top of her hand with his eyes hooded. "I was hoping that you would honor me with your first dance." Audrey instantly frowned.

"Oh Emerson, I'm so sorry, but I've already promised my first dance to Draco." Emerson returned the frown, but quickly straightened up and smiled, still holding her hand.

"Then I must insist that you give me the second dance…and the third, and the fourth." Audrey blushed, her smile widening.

"I'd love to, but I can only promise you the second dance, I have to leave room for Draco." Emerson scoffed.

"That boy doesn't know how to make you happy." Audrey quickly shook her head.

"No, Draco pleases me every day. Last night he held my hand and asked for my first dance." Emerson smirked, realizing that the double meaning of 'first dance' was completely lost on Audrey.

"I would be a much better partner; my dancing skills far exceed Draco's."

"I believe that's been five minutes!" Narcissa exclaimed as she grabbed Emerson's arm and led him to the door. "And if I find a spell in those flowers, our agreement of being fair is off." She whispered through clenched teeth. Emerson chuckled.

"I'm not like you, Narcissa. I just like giving flowers to pretty girls, is that so wrong?" Narcissa shoved him out of the door with a glare.

"In this situation, it is!"


	6. Chapter 6

So many readers and so much love! Thank you all so much! I've gotten a lot of this already written, but I'm trying to limit myself to one update a week. And I'm sorry about causing so many questions, but I promise that everything will be answered in a few chapters. I will be paying very special attention to where Audrey came from; I know that that's been a big question that some people have been asking. Don't worry, I would never leave you guys hanging! Glad that you're all enjoying the story, please continue reading!

...

"For all that its worth, you stay next to her no matter what. I don't care where she goes; you follow after her and join in on her conversations." Draco nodded as he shakily tied his tie, his breaths coming in short gasps. The pressure was pushing down on his chest to the point where he felt like he was going to pass out.

"And fix that tie! Do you have any idea how good Emerson looks right now?" His mother asked, her voice shrill. "He gave her two dozen roses and demanded that he have alone time. If we were using a points system, he would be winning."

"But we're not using a points system." Draco pointed out as he finally fixed his tie and got it to sit right. "And you forget, I've had years with Audrey."

"Yes, and you've squandered all of those years, which has made it possible for Emerson to earn just as much admiration that she has for you in two days." Lucius narrowed his eyes. "This isn't a game anymore, this is very serious. Your failure is our failure and I will not accept that, understood?" Draco nodded with his eyes focused.

"Yes father, I understand perfectly."

"Good, now go get Audrey…it's time." Draco quickly left the room, striding from his parent's wing to find Audrey. Narcissa grasped Lucius's arm, her nails digging into the frail material of his robes.

"Can we trust him?" She asked hesitantly. Lucius shook his head.

"I don't know, but if I have to, I'll take the necessary steps to make sure that she marries Draco."

"Marriage won't ensure his position." Narcissa reminded him. "You know what our Lord wants in order to keep him satisfied…Audrey has to be pregnant within the first year or Draco could lose everything…he could be killed!" Lucius held up his hand to silence his wife.

"I know…if I have to, I'll get the girl pregnant." Narcissa's jaw dropped.

"You can't be serious." She muttered. "Do you think that our Lord won't know that she'll be carrying your child?"

"Malfoy sperm is all that he cares about. I'll do whatever it takes to keep Draco as our Lord's heir! Once she has a baby, Draco will be fine." Narcissa pursed her lips together.

"Please, can we take care of this when we get to it? I can't stand the thought of you raping that girl." Lucius rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't rape her, I would just have to put her to sleep and…well, I'm sure that I don't need to go into detail." Narcissa stared at him unenthusiastically.

"The party's started, we had better go downstairs." Lucius nodded, offering her his arm.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart."

…

Audrey couldn't hear the lovely music over the beating of her heart. She always feared functions where she would have to make a public appearance. I t wasn't being seen or heard that she feared, it was being judged. She never knew if people were smiling at her with fondness, or just holding back the biting comments behind their teeth. Audrey feared those comments worse than anybody could have imagined.

And then there was the fact that she was here, Draco's girlfriend Pansy. Audrey knew better then Narcissa; just because she didn't have money or wasn't born into the world with perfect breeding didn't mean that she couldn't be the most beautiful creature on earth. Audrey knew that Draco had very good taste and would pick a girl to be his based on appearance and personality, not breeding and money. If that were truly the case, then Audrey was royally screwed.

The party had been going on for at least an hour before the Malfoy family made their grand entrance. It was the same every year: Narcissa and Lucius entered first because they were never the main focus. The guests wanted to see Draco and Audrey, arm and arm looking like a well-bred couple. She never knew why she was the absolute envy of every woman there, save for the fact that she would one day be Draco's wife. Oh, and he was going to run the magical world, how could she have forgotten?

"You look nervous." Draco muttered. She shook her head, but her pale face and clammy hands told Draco differently.

"I'm fine." She whispered. "My dress is just tight, that's all." Draco smirked.

"It's not like you've gained any weight, you're skinnier then a rail."

"I eat." She quickly defended. Draco smirked.

"I swear, all I ever see you eat is strawberries." Draco surprised them both when he said that. He was surprised that he had remembered that and she was surprised to see that he was paying attention.

"They're my favorite." She said, her eyes wide. Draco nodded, taking her arm and wrapping it around his arm.

"I know." Audrey smiled widely. When did he start noticing her eating habits? It should have felt strange, but Audrey was intensely flattered. He had noticed her…it had taken him practically a lifetime to do it, but he had finally looked at her and saw her for who she was: a simple, sweet girl that loved strawberries and could eat them for a lifetime if she had the choice.

"There's a big bowl of them downstairs, we can get some if you'd like." Audrey quickly nodded.

"As long as you eat with me." Draco pulled her closer, giving her a reassuring smile. Please, let this be real, please don't let this be a dream, and please let Draco continue holding her like he needed her.

Narcissa watched over her shoulder with a wide smile. She knew that when pressure was applied, Draco would do what she wanted him to. Now the only project left was to get rid of Emerson, which, unfortunately, had to be left to Draco's abilities. They could only pray for him to actually pull through and not disappoint them. Still, it never hurt to encourage a little healthy competition. And gifts were such a wonderful way to show who was ahead.

"Draco, didn't you say that you had something to give to Audrey?" She asked innocently. Draco raised an eyebrow as they waited for him to react.

"Uh…yes…?"

"I believe that you put it in your front coat pocket." Lucius reminded him in a patient drawl. Draco let go of Audrey and instantly began digging through his jacket. It didn't take him long to find the giant rectangle velvet box that had magically been tucked between his jacket and his neatly pressed shirt. He pulled it out, finding that both he and Audrey were shocked at how large t was.

"Open it." Narcissa demanded softly. Draco quickly unlatched it and presented it to Audrey, no idea what the box actually contained. He could only assume that it was an extremely large and expensive piece of jewelry that would look horrendously garish on her. But Audrey didn't gasp and refuse the gift like Draco expected. She sighed and gently smiled.

"Wow…this is so beautiful." She said. Draco peeked over the lid of the box to see what he had given Audrey. It wasn't a giant gem surrounded by diamonds as he had originally assumed. It was a round pendant with an emerald encrusted 'M' in the center. At the bottom, an 'A' and a 'D' intertwined with each other, covered in diamonds. The circle and elaborate chain was also covered in diamonds, ensuring that Audrey would be sparkling.

Now, Audrey wasn't stupid. She knew that Draco had had nothing to with the gift, that he had originally been against giving her anything, especially jewelry, but she was willing to play stupid. She was willing to pretend that Draco actually cared.

"Thank you." She said with a sweet smile.

"Help her put it on." Lucius insisted as he took the box from Draco. He quickly took the necklace out and carefully unclasped the delicate clasp. Audrey turned and lowered her head and felt the cool metal slide against her collarbone. It was heavier then she thought and it weighed down on her neck.

"It's very beautiful, thank you for being so thoughtful." Her eyes flicked over to Narcissa, who only smiled and briefly nodded. They all knew the small secret of the necklace, but none were willing to admit it.

The beautiful waltz downstairs suddenly stopped and the crowd grew silent. Audrey gripped Draco's arm, the swelling happy thoughts slowly escaping her mind.

"Introducing, our most gracious hosts, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy!" The crowd erupted in applause and cheers as Narcissa and Lucius walked into the light of the staircase. Draco took Audrey's arm and the pair waited as the noise died down. "Also introducing, their son Draco and Audrey Lidder!"

There was applause and cheering, but as soon as Audrey turned the corner she didn't hear any of it. When she looked out into the crowd, her eyes focused on a slim girl, dressed simply in a sparkly black floor length dress. Her black hair was pulled back to show off her intense bone structure. Even though it was clear that her dress was cheap and she had probably done her hair herself, she by far stood out as one of the most beautiful girls there.

Audrey knew that it was Pansy.

And she knew that she was screwed.


	7. Chapter 7

The music started again and the waltzing commenced. Draco quickly took Audrey into his arms, pulling her close and moving around the floor. They danced in silence, Audrey staring over his shoulder and catching glimpses of Pansy. She didn't look happy as she watched them dance, her eyes narrowing and her frown becoming more apparent.

"Is that her?" She felt Draco's posture stiffen and his grip on her hand tightened. Clearly, he had been dreading that question.

"Yes, the girl in the black dress." He said. Audrey nodded, finally pulling her head back so that she could look at Draco.

"She's very pretty." She said with a small smile. "I can see why you're dating her."

"We're not dating." Draco quickly defended. "She's a friend that I invited." Audrey quirked an eyebrow as he quickly look away to avoid her gaze.

"Is it bad that I don't believe you?" Draco sighed.

"It hasn't been going on for very long…just letters over the summer." He admitted.

"I know, I remember how excited you were to receive them." She muttered. Audrey dared to glance over at Pansy only to find that she had disappeared into the crowd.

"I'm always excited to get your letters too." Audrey almost laughed.

"You never write back." She said. Suddenly she felt like crying and throwing the heavy necklace back at him. "Please don't lie to me, I'm smarter than that and I deserve better, especially from you." Audrey inwardly gasped at the word's that had just come out of her mouth. She had never, ever spoken to Draco like that. She had never spoken to anybody like that, so why now?

"I don't write to you because I'm busy with my school work."

Well, that was half the truth. The other half was that he just didn't want to. But now that that damn Emerson was in the picture, he would have to remember to write her back the instant that he got the letter.

"But I save each one." He suddenly said. Audrey stumbled slightly, but thankfully Draco was there to catch her.

"You saved every letter?" She asked, clearly skeptical. Draco quickly nodded.

"Since my first year, they're in a box under my bed." But that was only because his mother had forced him to. Either way, he had saved the letters and they were in fact under his bed in a wide shoe box.

"Forgive me, but I find that very hard to believe." She told him honestly. Why would he bother with her letters when he had a beautiful girl there to entertain him? Draco suddenly grabbed her hand with a strangely joyful smile.

"Come on, I'll show you." He began to pull her through the dancing crowd and then up the same staircase that they had entered through. All eyes were on them as they disappeared into the corridors of the main house.

Pansy, who had left to get a very strong drink, happened to return just in time to see Draco and Audrey disappear up the stairs. She downed her drink in seconds flat and was about to go and get another one when she was suddenly stopped by an extremely handsome stranger.

"Hello, you must be Ms. Parkinson, Draco's guest. My name is Emerson Reynolds, it's a pleasure to meet you." Pansy sneered as he offered his hand.

"I'm not his guest, I'm his girlfriend." Emerson hid behind a mask of shock, but inwardly he was smirking in a most devilish manner.

"Are you?" He asked. "Goodness, don't you know?" Pansy quirked an eyebrow.

"Know what?" Emerson tutted as he slowly shook his head.

"Goodness, I'd hate to be the one to tell you." He muttered. "Draco's been off the market since he was five years old. He and Ms. Audrey have been engaged since they were toddlers, so he couldn't possibly be dating you." The color slowly began to drain from Pansy's face as the words sunk in. Draco was engaged. That girl was his fiancée. They were getting married. He had used her.

"Excuse me, I think that I need to…I need a moment, excuse me." She rushed away and left Emerson smirking like a cat who had just caught a mouse.

…

Audrey had never ever been close to the East Wing. It was Draco's private space, just as the Sun Wing was her private space and neither the two should meet. Lush, forest green wall paper covered the walls with black trim and black doors. It was very dark and narrow, almost claustrophobic. Draco took her to the end of the hallway where two black doors awaited them. He pushed the door open and Audrey froze within three steps. She was in Draco's room, a place that she never thought that she would ever be.

"Come in." He said, walking in and going to his bed, dropping to his knees and reaching under the bed curtain to search for the box. She hesitantly walked in, taking in everything around her. The walls were covered in the same green wallpaper and black trim as the hallway. There was a large black stone fireplace with a fire dimly crackling. Over the fire was a large black framed mirror, holding the reflection of the huge bed. It was very similar to Audrey's bed, the same size, only done in deep mahogany wood with black, green, and silver bed coverings. There were two doors on the other side of the bed that probably led to a bathroom and a closet. The only things that seemed out of place were the few posters that Draco had hung up. A few quidditch posters were hung, and then there was a Coldplay poster.

Hmm, Draco liked Coldplay...weird...

Draco suddenly pulled the box from under the bed and sat on the edge, patting the spot next to him.

"Sit down, I'll show you." Audrey nodded and did as she was told, being sure not to sit too close to him. The box was larger than she expected. Of course, when she had first started writing to him, she had sent a letter almost every day. Then over the years it got to be every other day, every week, and now once a month. She almost felt guilty for not writing him more, but he never wrote her back, so why waste paper?

Audrey smiled as she started to leaf through the letters, each saved in its original envelope.

"I can't believe that you saved all of them…why?" She asked. Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"Because I appreciate the fact that you care so much to write to me." He sighed, staring down at his shiny shoes. "I know that I don't say it, but I actually do like you." Audrey felt her breath catch in her throat, dropping one of the letters back into the box.

"What are you doing?" She asked quietly. Draco furrowed his brow.

"What are you talking about?"

"You've ignored me for the past eleven years and now you decide to pay attention to me?" She suddenly stood up, causing the box to drop and spill on the floor. "Why are you all of a sudden paying attention to me and being so nice to me? I don't understand…" She suddenly found herself close to tears, her breath coming in small gasps. Draco slowly stood up with his hands outstretched to her, as if wanting to hug her, but for some reason holding himself back.

"I'm…I was a child who didn't realize what I had to do to be an adult. I am aware of what I need to do, and I'm ready to grow up." Audrey's lower lip began to quiver.

"So, what? You figure that you have to suck it up and marry me?" The tears came quickly and Audrey didn't bother to wipe them away. She was afraid that her hands were shaking too much and the sight of them might make her cry more.

It was then that Draco did something that Audrey hadn't expected to happen. In two wide strides, he was in front of her and had wrapped his arms around her.

It was a hug, Draco was hugging her…oh, he smelled so good…

"Never doubt the fact the fact that I think that you're a wonderful person." Audrey dared to wrap her arms around him as his sweet words caressed her ears. "I like you Audrey, and I think that I could—."

"Draco?"

Audrey literally jumped from Draco's arms with her heart pounding in her head. She was gasping for air as her eyes adjusted to Pansy's dark figure. Her face was shadowed, but Audrey knew that she wasn't happy.

"Excuse me." She whispered, keeping her eyes down. She ran from the room, her heels echoing on the marble floors. She couldn't have gotten away fast enough; she could already hear the screaming.


	8. Chapter 8

United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Poland, Germany, France, Argentina, Malaysia, Norway, Thailand, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Sweden, Finland, Republic of Korea, South Africa, Portugal, Latvia, Philippines, Indonesia, Ireland, Bahamas, Denmark, Turkey Singapore, and China.

These are all the different countries that are represented through 'Darkness!' You all are incredible, and I'm so happy that you're enjoying and reading this story! I've also gotten some extremely kind reviews that have just made me squeal with delight! Please continue reading and enjoying the story, you're all so very wonderful!

…

"You're engaged?" Draco stood completely still as Pansy stomped across the room. "You're engaged and you didn't tell me?" She slapped him as hard as she could, which sadly for her wasn't very hard. He kept his face straight and his eyes blank.

"You're overreacting." He muttered.

"No I am not!" She screamed. "You're engaged to her and you're dating me." Pansy suddenly shook her head. "No, we're not dating anymore, I'm dumping you!"

"Fine." Draco replied quickly. That seemed to hit Pansy, sending her reeling back a few steps.

"What do you mean fine?" She spit out.

"I mean fine, I don't care if you dump me. The honor of ending this relationship is all yours." Her lower lip began to quiver, but Draco kept his face free of any emotion. He knew that he was hurting her, but this way he would end the relationship for good. She would forever hate him, and she would never try to rekindle the relationship.

"But…we made-."

"Don't even say it." He quickly said, cutting her off. "We had sex; it was just sex, there was nothing special about it." She gasped, no longer able to hold back her tears.

"You used me." It was a statement to try and convince herself of this. She would from that moment on never admit that she begged Draco to fuck her. Roles would be reversed and she could come out playing the victim. Draco would play the monster and he was perfectly fine with that.

"I love you." She whispered.

"No you don't." Draco quickly insisted. "We fucked, that was it, no need for you to get attached." Pansy stomped her foot with a loud scream.

"You're a sick fuck! That Audrey girl has no idea what she's getting herself into and I pity her!" She stomped from the room and began breaking things along the way, each time making Draco flinch. He hoped that she would just leave after this and not throw a fit downstairs.

God help him if she ever ran into Audrey…

…

Audrey's footsteps were quick as she left the East Wing. The classical music began to fill the hall as she strutted down the stairs with her head down. She knew that everybody was staring at her, which only made her face and neck turn bright red. She just wanted to disappear into her room and pretend that this night had never happened…but if she did that, she would forget all about Draco's hug and those brief, blissful moments before Pansy walked in. Audrey could only assume that something beyond her control was going on where Emerson and Draco were competing for her. She knew that she wasn't gorgeous and that she wasn't worth competing over, so it didn't make sense for Emerson and Draco to fight.

"Audrey, are you all right?" She swung around in the middle of the dance floor to see Emerson walking towards her.

"Oh, hello Emerson. I'm fine, why do you ask?" He reached out and took her hand, gently kissing it.

"I saw that girl follow after you and Draco, and I feared the absolute worse. I don't approve of you being alone with him, and I'm almost glad that she interrupted anything going on with you two." Audrey furrowed her brow together.

"She didn't interrupt anything, but what Draco and I do in private is our business and is not for you to approve or disapprove of!" He dropped her hand, a look of complete bewilderment on his face.

"If I've insulted you, please forgive me."

"You have insulted me!" She exclaimed. "And it insults me even more that you say 'if.' For you to think that you have the right to approve of what I do is highly insulting." She pushed past him and ran up the stairs, quietly thankful that he didn't follow her.

The conversation grew louder as she ran through the main house and to her wing. Light flooded in from the different room, but it slanted and flickered and made Audrey dizzy. It had begun to rain and the thunder and lightning had already started. She felt the house shake as she burst into her room and slammed the door shut. She turned on a few lamps and kicked off her shoes, slowly pulling out bobby pins as she walked. All this attention was actually starting to scare her. She had gone on this long just being ignored, so to suddenly have all this attention was so overwhelming. She felt the urge to run away and hide. Audrey pushed the form fitting dress off of her body, carefully resting it on one of the cream couches. She pulled the strand of diamonds from her hair and left that and the hair pieces on her vanity. For a few moments she stood there, fingering the pendant around her neck. She carefully removed it, pushing aside her things and making room for it on her vanity. She had no idea what she would do with it, but she was too tired to even think about it.

Audrey pulled her hair up and washed her face before changing into a loose tee shirt that hung off her shoulders and a pair of short shorts. It was horrendously indecent and Narcissa constantly voiced her disapproval, but this was only what she slept in. When and if she shared a bed with Draco, she would adopt a nightgown. Audrey glanced at her tall clock and instantly grimaced. Even though it was only eight, she suddenly felt extremely exhausted, both physically and mentally. Just when she was about to retreat to bed, she suddenly saw them: Emerson's flowers. A pain in her stomach flared up, causing her to do something quite rash.

She removed the flowers from the vase and walked from her room back through the main house and to the front room where the party was still going on. People literally stopped talking as Audrey descended the stairs and approached Emerson. Literally, it was absolutely silent. She pushed the flowers into his arms and stepped away from him.

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I can't accept a gift from somebody that doesn't approve of me." She told him with a straight face. Emerson opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. "And I would like it very much if you didn't visit so often, I wouldn't want you to disapprove of anything else that I do."

"Audrey, please understand, I did not mean to insult you." He said, feeling the eyes of every guest rest quizzically upon him.

"But you did." She said quickly. "And I don't like associating with people who insult me. I bid you good evening and I hope to not see you for a very long time." She turned and walked away with her chin raised in triumph. That felt good…like, Audrey had never felt so in control before! She was sure that she had stunned everybody by speaking so freely in such casual attire. She felt completely empowered.

As she was walking back up the stairs, Pansy suddenly emerged from the darkness with tears in her eyes and glistening on her cheeks. Audrey instantly stopped and watched with wide eyes as Pansy slowly walked towards her. She looked as if somebody had ripped her heart out. She stopped next to her, giving Audrey a good once over.

"You're prettier than he gives you credit for." She muttered. Audrey nodded.

"Thank you." Pansy suddenly grabbed her arm and yanked her close, their bodies awkwardly touching.

"Be prepared to get your heart broken." She muttered before pushing her away and slamming her feet as she walked away. Audrey gripped the staircase railing as Pansy pushed through the crowd and left the house. Draco finally emerged and, without a word, grabbed Audrey's hand and pulled her away. She walked after him, her eyes down and silence passing between them.

"What did she say to you?" Draco suddenly asked. Audrey blinked, trying to register the question in her head. "What did she say to you?" Draco asked again, stopping and catching her as she crashed into him. He held her by her shoulders, his large hands weighing her down and making her want to sit. "Please, tell me what she said to you." He pleaded, this time his voice much calmer.

"She told me that I was pretty." She quickly said. "Prettier than you said." Draco sighed, letting his hands slide down her arms and gently taking her hand.

"Come on, I'll take you to bed." Audrey squeezed his hand tightly as they quietly walked back to the Sun Wing. "I'm sorry about her, I shouldn't have invited her, but she begged me to let her come." Audrey nodded, but remained completely silent. If Draco could cast aside such a beautiful girl, who was to say that he wouldn't do the same thing to her? Maybe one day Draco would break her heart and make her life miserable.

"She also told me to prepare myself to have my heart broken." Audrey stared at the back of Draco's head as they continued to walk. "What did you do to her to make her hate you so much?" Draco remained silent until he walked her back to the room, opening the door for her.

"I slept with her and then I dumped her, she's just upset, she'll be fine." Audrey slowly walked into her room, but turned before Draco could shut the door on her.

"You slept with her?" She asked meekly. Draco nodded, avoiding her gaze. "Like…you made love to her?" Draco instantly shook his head with his eyes wide.

"No, that's completely different; I did not make love to her." Audrey furrowed her brow together.

"But…what's the difference?" She asked innocently. Draco quietly laughed, but he knew that she was serious. He inched towards her, gently stroking her cheek with his soft fingers.

"Making love is what we're going to do…one day." Audrey blushed heavily as his hand lingered on her hot face.

"So, you're really going to marry me?" She asked hesitantly. Draco thought for a moment, staring into her eyes pensively.

"That's the plan." He said with a small nod. He gently kissed her cheek and pulled away, offering her a small smile. "Goodnight Audrey." She leaned against the doorframe watching him walk away.

"Goodnight…Draco."


	9. Chapter 9

Audrey couldn't remember a time when she hadn't been afraid of thunder and lightning. She dreaded the rain, because the thunder and lightning were always close behind. The first storm that she had endured at the Manor was an absolutely terrifying experience. She had gone running and screaming through the halls for her mother, but nobody would answer her. They had found her the next morning crying in a broom closet, hidden under three heavy fur coats. It would have been a hilarious situation if Audrey hadn't been so traumatized. Since then, she had had a strong aversion to storms…and the fear had increased to an insane level. So tonight, on a night when her adrenaline was already running high, she was totally at her wits end.

A jolt of lightening sent Audrey running from her bed and out into the hallway. She was gasping for air as she swiftly ducked from her wing and into the main house. Safe, safe, she needed somewhere safe to hide. Broom closet? No, no, that was just dark and cramped and stuffy and would only increase her state of insomnia. She shuddered as a heavy wave of thunder shook the house. Where was somewhere safe that she could sleep for the night, without any big windows? Of course, duh, go to the one place in the house where there are hardly any windows: the East Wing.

Audrey hesitated in front of the entry way to the East Wing. What would Draco say if she just showed up at his door in this state? Chances were that he would turn her away and just go back to bed. Still, it was worth a shot. Without making hardly any noise, Audrey tip-toed through the wing with her head down. It was so dark, but at least it was better than the thunder and lightning. Audrey tapped on his door and quietly waited. At first she heard silence, but then she heard a groan followed by a loud thump and then dragging footsteps. The door opened silently and Draco poked out his dreary head.

"Audrey? What are you doing here? It's three in the morning." His words were slurred and it was clear that he had been drinking before bed. Audrey didn't blame him.

"The storm was keeping me awake." She said meekly. "Can I sleep on your couch?" Draco sighed and nodded, stepping aside to let her into his room. She rushed in and went straight for the couch in front of the fire. Draco grunted in a very caveman-esque manner and grabbed her hand.

"No, it's stupid for you to sleep on the couch, just come sleep in my bed." He pulled her over before casually climbing over the bed and returning to his previous spot. Audrey stood frozen until Draco reached over and literally pulled her into bed. "Come on, I'm tired." He muttered as he pulled the blankets over them and rested back against his pillow. She could feel the heat radiating from his body and she was tempted to reach over and brush her fingers against his back. The skin was stretched over his firm muscles and his pale skin seemed to glow in the dark light. "Storm kept you up?" He suddenly asked without rolling over.

"Yes…the trees kept casting shadows and scaring me…it's immature, I know."

"No, the lightning used to freak me out when I was a kid." He rolled over to face her, his lips pouted and his eyes half lidded. "It helps to have somebody to talk to about your fears." Audrey smiled slightly as this new information came bubbling from Draco's lips.

"Who did you talk to?"

"My nanny Mimi. You probably don't remember her, she left when I was eight." Audrey furrowed her brow together.

"Wasn't she that small Indonesian woman who had a gold molar?" Draco smiled softly.

"Yeah, she told me that it turned gold the day that she met her husband, that's how she knew that she was supposed to marry him." He scoffed. "Complete nonsense." Audrey nodded.

"If you ask me, you have to feel when it's right." She peered up at him innocently. "That's why I worry about us and getting married…maybe we'll never feel right to each other."

"I don't mind that risk." He muttered before yawning. "Don't mean to insult, but you're safe." Audrey watched him as his eyes grew heavy and closed. It seemed almost instant that he was asleep. Although she could still hear the thunder and lightning, Audrey wasn't afraid.

Draco didn't know it, but he was safe too.

…

Draco awoke the next morning to find Audrey gone; at least, he thought that she was gone. She had left a small indentation where she had slept and her scent lingered on the sheets. Draco pulled over the pillow that she had used and, with his eyes closed, took in a long, deep smell. Until this moment, he had never realized how good she had smelt. It was as if he had buried his face into a bunch of wildflowers with freshly cut strawberries resting among the petals. He shuddered slightly, pushing away the pillow and climbing out of bed. He furrowed his brow together as he felt his boxers suddenly tighten. Morning wood was normal for him, but this was more than usual. Was this all from smelling Audrey's pillow?

God that was perverted of him…

Draco quickly dressed and went downstairs to find his parents quietly eating breakfast.

"Where's Audrey?"

"We're not going to talk about Audrey." His mother said firmly. "We're going to talk about how that horrendous girl that you invited embarrassed us all." She glared at Draco as he quietly began to eat his breakfast. "How could you be so foolish?" Draco didn't speak while his mother fumed with anger. Instead, he looked to his father.

"I need a favor." Lucius scoffed.

"Why should I do a favor for you after last night? You have embarrassed all of us, but especially yourself and Audrey."

"This could help ensure my position." They instantly shut their mouths and Lucius peered over his newspaper with a cocked eyebrow.

"All right, I'm listening."

"Let Audrey come back to Hogwarts with me."

"No!" Narcissa exclaimed. "Absolutely not!" Draco furrowed his brow together.

"I've never understood why you insist on spending thousands for tutors and school supplies. Just send her to school with me."

"They will discover who she is." She spit out. "If they discover who she is, they will kill her on the spot."

"Do you honestly look at her and think 'oh shit, that's His daughter'?" They both shrunk back as Draco's cheeks turned bright red. "She's the absolute opposite of Him; they'll never figure it out." He insisted. Narcissa sighed, leaning back in her seat.

"We can't take that risk." She muttered. Lucius nodded in agreement.

"If she were discovered, it could ruin years of planning." He said. Draco scowled.

"The poor girl is probably suicidal from being cooped up in this damn house." Draco insisted. "Come on, let her be happy." Narcissa raised an eyebrow.

"How could you ever know what would make her happy?" Draco pursed his lips together.

"Just let her have friends…let her experience some normality before she wastes the rest of her life with me." He pleaded with them. Narcissa sighed, taking a slow sip of her tea.

"Why do you suddenly care?" She asked. Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"She's bored and…I feel sorry for her." Lucius smirked slightly, pushing aside his plate to finish his coffee.

"All right, I'll work it out so that Audrey can go to school with you, but you had better not disappoint me. I will continue to receive regular reports from Professor Snape and I'll know if you do anything inappropriate, is that understood?" Draco quickly nodded.

"Will you let me tell her?" Lucius sighed, picking back up his newspaper and returning to his article.

"Do whatever you want, God help us all."


	10. Chapter 10

Hello! I'm glad to see you all again! I just wanted to post a brief message about how I update stories. The last few stories I wrote, I updated a lot and then I would wait long periods before even thinking about posting another chapter. So, for this story, I've decided that every Friday I will be posting a new chapter. So expect a new chapter every Friday, probably later at night. Sometimes I might fall behind and post something on Saturday or Sunday, but I will post a chapter every weekend, that is a promise.

…

The Malfoy household viewed Christmas in a very different light than the rest of the world. It was a formal event where gifts were almost nonexistent. Lucius and Narcissa exchanged gifts and gave a present to Draco and Audrey. Then the young couple would exchange gifts that would usually include stationary. Every year, without fail, Audrey always got stationary, and it was always grass green and cream. So Christmas wasn't much of a holiday. It was another day with the exception of a fancy family dinner. There was an appetizer, dinner, dessert, and then gift exchange…and then bed.

Yes it was just another day, accompanied by heavy snow flurries.

Audrey slowly brushed her hair with her mind floating somewhere else. Sleeping beside Draco had put her completely at ease; it was the best sleep that she had ever had. They hadn't touched each other, but she had never felt so comforted. It was a difficult concept to wrap her mind around. Maybe she was meant to be with Draco. It was possible that her body was telling her that yes you and Draco are supposed to share a bed for the rest of your life.

Audrey pulled her hair back into a ponytail and accompanied it with a sparkly black headband. In her black taffeta cocktail dress and her black flats, she walked from her wing and into the formal dining room. Everybody was already there, and she was slightly embarrassed that she was the last to arrive.

"Happy Christmas." She muttered as she quickly sat down. Narcissa smiled sweetly at her as their food was brought.

"Thank you sweetheart, Happy Christmas to you too."

Dinner went about in a quiet manner, sinking them all into a very uncomfortable situation. Audrey couldn't help but notice that Draco was rather chipper. He had a smile on his face the majority of dinner and was actually smiling at her. They were making eye contact and he was really smiling at her. It was disturbing to see something so…odd…

It was finally time to exchange gifts and Audrey was almost relieved. This dinner was so quiet and it made her extremely uncomfortable. Narcissa and Lucius gave each other diamond earrings and emerald cuff links. Draco got a new case for his wand, bamboo wood lined with emerald velvet and his initials embroidered into the lid. Then, it was Audrey's turn. Lucius and Narcissa gave her a brand new handbag, a giant Chloe alligator purse that had been colored a mint green. Her heart began to race as Draco slowly pushed a large red box towards her tied with a giant gold bow. She quirked an eyebrow as she began to notice the holes cut through the red paper.

"You might want to hurry up and open it." He told her with his smile slowly growing wider. She blinked a few times as her hand rested on a small box that was for Draco. It was just a decorated picture frame with a picture of her inside. Narcissa's idea, not hers, but she had a feeling that it wouldn't compare to whatever Draco had gotten her.

"Um…open mine first." She said quickly, easily sliding the box over to him. He quickly pulled back the ribbon and box top and Audrey was relieved to see him genuinely smile.

"That's pretty, did you make this?" He asked, holding up the frame. Audrey shrugged her shoulders.

"I just decorated it…I hope that it's not too sparkly." Draco shook his head as he set up the frame next to him.

"No, it's great, that's a really good picture of you." Audrey smiled slightly, a blush covering her cheeks.

"Thank you." Draco eagerly pushed his box back towards Audrey.

"Okay, open mine now." Audrey pulled the box towards her and examined the bright red paper. She had no idea what was inside the box and why on earth it would need holes. She carefully removed the bow and pulled back the perfectly wrapped lid. What came out of her mouth next was only a sound that could be made by a girl that had just been overly pleased. With gentle hands, Audrey pulled out a black and grey puff ball that could only be a kitten.

"Oh my goodness!" She exclaimed as the small kitten let out an adorable cry. "He's so adorable!"

"It's a she." Draco quickly corrected.

"A girl!" She snuggled the small kitten close to her, gently petting her head. "What's her name?"

"Whatever you want it to be, she's yours." Draco watched happily as Audrey cradled the newly found source of joy. Who would have thought that something so small would have made her so happy?

"I think that Josephine would suit her perfectly, don't you?" Draco nodded.

"There's one more thing." He pulled out a plain box wrapped in plain brown paper. On the front, using a large black stamp, bore the name of a uniform shop. "You start school with me on January fourth." Audrey's jaw dropped and her entire body froze.

"Is this real?" She asked, directing her question to both Lucius and Narcissa, who quickly nodded.

"Everything has been arranged." Lucius assured her. "You're going to take the train back to school with Draco." Audrey smiled widely, looking as though she were about to cry.

"Thank you…thank you so much!"

"You should be thanking Draco, he wanted you to come to school with him." Narcissa told her. Audrey glanced at Draco as Josephine innocently took a swat at her delicate fingers.

"You want me to come to school with you?" She asked eagerly. Draco shrugged with a small nod.

"I figured that you should receive a better education than the one that you were receiving in that make shift classroom." She looked from face to face, each time her smile growing wider.

"Really? I get to go to school and be a Hogwarts student?" She sighed, clutching Josephine to her chest. "Thank you so much!"

…

Audrey was literally on pins and needles as she and the Malfoy family rode to the train station. She was finally going to school like Draco! She would get to see him every day and he even promised to help her with her homework if she needed it. Even if she didn't need help, she would still go to him. Any time that she could spend with Draco was precious. She would do whatever it took to have alone time with Draco.

"And remember to stay close to Draco until you get sorted…then you should be able to sit with Draco for the rest of the night, but if by some disaster you should be put into another house, do what you can to be close to him. Draco, watch out for her." Narcissa said in the same monotone voice that she used whenever she lectured Audrey and Draco. Audrey sat in the very back of the car, completely confused.

"What do you mean get sorted?"

"They put an enchanted hat on your head and it tells you which house that you're going to live in." Draco told her. "There are four houses, I live in Slytherin…and hopefully that's where you'll be put." Draco secretly knew that Audrey didn't have a chance of being put into Slyterin. She was far too sweet and far too smart to ever be considered, and his mother was foolish to think that it would actually happen. Audrey nodded sinking back into her seat. She didn't know that there was a possibility that she might not be able to be near Draco. That was just so unfair, she didn't know what to think or say.

The train station was busy this time, people in their fur lined coats rushing inside to seek warmth. Audrey and Draco stepped out, both shivering as they unloaded their things and rushed inside. Lucius and Narcissa followed after them closely, both looking extremely cautious. Audrey felt like she was about to burst out of her skin she was so excited. One word kept playing over and over again in her mind:

Normal.

Normal.

Normal.

She would finally be like every other fourteen year old witch…or at least, what she thought of a young witch would be like. Audrey smiled up at Draco as they walked together. It was almost romantic the way that they were walking through the train station; like an old black and white movie that Audrey had become so well acquainted with.

But suddenly, it stopped being romantic.

They entered onto the platform and it suddenly hit Audrey that she would be going to school with Draco and all of those people. She suddenly felt overwhelmed and had the strong urge to run back to the car and hide. Draco, reading the fear on her face, suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand, giving it a squeeze to reassure her. She let out a little sigh, hesitantly squeezing his hand back.

"You'll be fine." He told her. "Just smile and be nice and you'll make lots of new friends." Draco told her sweetly. Audrey finally looked up at him, daring to allow herself to smile.

"Do you really think so?" Draco nodded.

"Of course, you're the nicest person that I've ever met…oh, but there's one thing that you should know." Audrey quirked an eyebrow.

"What's that?"

"I have two friends that are…weird. They find you extremely attractive and they may say some very inappropriate things to you when they meet you." Narcissa narrowed her eyes.

"Draco, you shouldn't associate with such foul people. Keep better company, you've got a certain reputation to uphold." She told him sternly. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Okay, bye, see you at the end of the year." He escorted Audrey to the train where they loaded their trunks before boarding the train. He kept a tight hold on Audrey's hand as they weaved through the train to finally find an empty compartment. He quickly locked the door and closed the curtains to ensure privacy. He sat down across from her and smiled slightly. She smiled back, gently crossing her hands.

"I'm excited." She said sweetly. Draco nodded, staring out the window as they began to pull away.

"Good, remember the feeling."


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, I'm so excited for you guys! This is the chapter where you finally get to find out where Audrey came from! Ugh, yes, so awesome, please enjoy!

…

The train ride was pleasant, Audrey and Draco talking most of the way. In that short hour, he was able to discover so many things about her. Apparently, Audrey had always wanted to take singing lessons. Of course she had been taught how to play the piano, an acceptable instrument for her to learn, but she had always sung to herself in privacy, and she didn't think that it was so bad. And also, Audrey harbored a secret love of sunflowers. Sure, lilies were nice, and she would always have a special place for roses, seeing as they were part of her name, but she loved sunflowers because they were so cheerful and seemed like they were always smiling at her.

In that instant, Draco wanted to make a giant bouquet of sunflowers appear in her arms and make her eyes sparkle with that newly found happiness that Draco had only just seen. He liked making her happy, he liked seeing her happy; it was an odd joy that he felt whenever he saw her smile because of something he had done. He pondered the way that she would smile at him as he slowly changed into his uniform. He tightened his tie and left the men's room, finding that most everybody had left. He knocked on the girl's bathroom door, waiting patiently for a response.

"Audrey, are you all right?"

"There's something wrong with my uniform." She called back, her voice wavering as if she were about to cry.

"Can you come out and show me?" Audrey quickly came out with her lips pouted. At first glance, he didn't see anything wrong with what he saw. But as he examined her closer, he saw that she didn't have a tie and there was no crest on her outer robes. He smirked.

"Don't worry; you'll get those when you get sorted."

Draco couldn't help but notice Audrey's resemblance to a certain adult actress that he admired. Trixie Pops, a high- pitched witch that was making a killing in the muggle porn industry, could have been Audrey's twin. It was a bit disturbing, yet extremely erotic at the same time as she stared up at him in her school uniform.

"Come on, let's grab a carriage." Audrey's eyes widened in awe.

"We get to ride in a carriage?" She sighed as they stepped off of the train. "This place is so magical." Draco shrugged his shoulders, letting a small chuckle escape his lips.

"Yeah, that's kinda the point." Draco spotted only a few black carriages, waiting for them and another group of straggling students. He started to pull her towards the last carriage, but she halted and pulled him back. He looked back to see an expression of pure terror on her face.

"What's the matter?" He asked as the color slowly began to drain from her face.

"What are those things?" She asked nervously, trying to pull away from him. Draco glanced at the carriage, instantly grimacing. He knew what she was suddenly so terrified of.

"Don't worry, they won't hurt you, they just pull the carriages." Draco opened the door and helped her into the carriage before also climbing in, tapping the roof to tell them to go.

Draco watched Audrey in their dimly lit carriage. He knew why Audrey could see those things, but he was also well aware of the fact that Audrey didn't know that you could only see those creatures if you had seen somebody die. Draco knew Audrey's whole story, but she didn't even have a clue who she was. He wanted to tell her everything, but knew that year's of careful planning would come crashing down if he said anything. So Draco did the one thing that made him feel slightly better: play the whole story in his mind.

Audrey's last name wasn't Lidder, it was Riddle. She was the daughter and only child of Lord Voldermort, or Tom Riddle as it said on her birth certificate. Her mother's name was Elizabeth Russell, a beautiful young witch from Scotland. She had only just joined the Death Eaters when she was approached and asked to make the ultimate show of loyalty: carry Lord Voldermort's heir. Elizabeth was selected based solely on her looks, sporting beautiful long brown curls and sparkling hazel eyes. She knew that she was beautiful and was cocky about that fact. Of course, because she was flattered beyond limits, she agreed.

Nine months later, after Elizabeth had been treated like a queen and abused the privilege, she gave birth to Audrey Rose Riddle. At first, everybody panicked because Audrey had been born a girl, and not a boy like everybody had wanted and expected. There was talk about killing her and trying again, but Lord Voldermort simply pointed out the fact that Draco had been born two years prior. He had planned for this, coordinating their birthdays so that they would be a match. So their engagement was arranged and Audrey was suddenly the focus of the Death Eaters.

That was not okay with Elizabeth.

After nine months of being the center of attention, she didn't appreciate simply being thrown back into the mass crowds of followers. She wasn't acknowledged as important anymore; she hardly got acknowledged as Audrey's mother. She threw fits when she was put at the bottom and began threatening to take Audrey and leave the Death Eaters forever. She even went as far as to imply that she would tell the world their secret hiding spots and expose that Lord Voldermort was still living.

That was not acceptable and Elizabeth was dealt with in the appropriate manner.

When Audrey was one and a half, she attended the execution of her mother. She was stripped of her magic and burned in an encasement of thick logs. Audrey had watched her mother die a painful death, and she had no idea what was going on. It was said that she didn't cry as her mother cooked and hissed, but nobody could remember for sure. For two years, Audrey lived with a variety of different families before she was finally brought to the Malfoy home. There she had lived, completely ignorant to the fact that she had been born out of conceding greed and malicious planning.

It was Draco's sincerest hope that Audrey never found out where she came from.

…

The castle was glowing as the students slowly began to arrive. For many, it was a typical sight, but for Audrey, it was the most beautiful thing in the entire world. She stumbled as she walked up the steps because her eyes were trying to soak in the towers and tall pillars. Draco laughed as she accidentally knocked into a group of seventh year boys, who just stared at her as she apologized and ran to Draco's side.

"Oh dear." She muttered as her cheeks turned bright pink. "Do you think that I made a bad impression on them?" Draco quickly shook his head.

"No, don't worry about them, they're just Ravenclaws. They won't give you any trouble." Audrey stayed close to Draco, her eyes darting around to take in the dozens of faces around her. It was all so exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. She was most curious about how she would be sorted, but didn't have the chance to ask as Draco took her to a gigantic room with long tables spreading the length of the room. They sat down at the furthest table to the left. They sat somewhere in the middle, a bit towards the front so that they could get a good view of the teachers. Audrey marveled at how many teachers there were all different sizes and styles. Now Audrey was eager to see what her class schedule would be like, but the thought of class was pushed from her mind when a well aged man stood and stepped forward to a podium held by a golden owl. She sat up straight and craned her neck to get a better view.

"Welcome back, I hope that you all had a restful and enjoyable Holiday Break." Audrey listened eagerly to the string of announcements, unaware that Draco was watching her closely. He had never seen her so happy before. She had almost been skipping through the halls when they had walked in. It was tragic that they hadn't sent her to school sooner. He really hoped that she would make at least one friend. He honestly didn't care who it was, he just wanted her to be happy…which was really weird for him, considering that he still had his doubts about marrying her. It wasn't Audrey, but who would want Lord Voldermort as their father-in-law?

It was completely horrific.

"I am happy to announce that we have a new student joining us. Where is Audrey Lidder?" Draco nudged Audrey and she shot up with wide eyes. Her footsteps echoed as she slowly walked to the front of the room, where the old man was waiting for her. He smiled warmly at her and turned her to that everybody could see her. "This is Audrey Lidder; she's just transferred from a private school in Germany."

Oh goody, more lies.

"I hope that you will all make her feel welcome." He motioned to his side and an older woman with a stool and a patchy hat stepped forward. Audrey's eyes widened; this was the sorting hat that Draco had told her about. The woman set down the stool with a smile.

"Go ahead and take a seat, dear." The woman told her. Audrey quickly sat down, squeezing her knees together as the hat was slowly placed on her head. At first, there was just darkness and silence, making Audrey panic. Had she done something wrong? Great, she had been here five minutes and she had broken the sorting hat…

'Another Riddle child?' Audrey furrowed her brow together, hearing the voice echo around her. 'Answer me; it's rude to stay quiet while somebody is talking to you.'

'I'm sorry.' It occurred to her that this hat was speaking to her in her mind. 'I've never been exposed to magical objects before, please forgive me.' She could almost feel the hat glaring at her.

'You're a Riddle, I remember the last time a Riddle came to this school.'

'You must be mistaken, my last name isn't Riddle, it's Lidder.'

'No, no mistake, you're a Riddle…but you're not evil, you're kind. Hmm, you're too nice to put you into Slytherin.'

'No, I want to be in Slytherin! That's where Draco is.'

'But you don't belong there.' He insisted. 'No, you're smart…but not too smart. I could never see you taking risks. Good person I think…well rounded…so that only leaves one choice.'

"Hufflepuff!"


	12. Chapter 12

Audrey blinked as the hat was taken from her head and a table decorated in yellow began to cheer. She stepped down from the stool, glancing back at the woman who snatched it back up right from under her.

"Go sit with your house, dear." She told her, giving her a gentle nudge. Audrey innocently nodded and slowly walked to the long table, her eyes searching for a spot. She spotted a group of three girls who all looked to be her age. Audrey gathered up all of her courage and sat down with them, a shy smile on her face.

"Hello…is it all right if I sit with you?"

"Of course!" One of the girls quickly replied. "You're going to be in our dorm room, they brought in a new bed for you two days ago." The girl stuck out her hand from across the table. "My name is Veronica, this is Tess, and this is Kayla." Audrey nodded to each one with a little smile on her face.

"Are you all fourth years?" They all eagerly nodded as they began to serve themselves as bowls and plates were passed around.

"Yeah, you'll be in classes with us too, so we can all study together!" Tess exclaimed happily.

"I hope that you're good at potions." Kayla muttered with a large scowl. "The teacher is a real nightmare." Veronica suddenly gasped, ducking down slightly with her eyes wide.

"Oh my God, don't look now, but Draco Malfoy is staring at you." She whispered, ducking down. Audrey went against what she had said and turned to see that Draco was indeed staring at her. She smiled and waved to him, but he merely looked away with his cheeks slowly starting to flush. When she looked back, each girl's jaw had dropped to the floor. "What did you do that for?" Veronica finally asked.

"Why not?"

"Because Draco Malfoy is bad news!" Kayla exclaimed under her breath. Tess eagerly nodded.

"There are rumors going around that he's a Death Eater, apparently the youngest one ever!"

Death Eater, Audrey had heard that somewhere before, but where? Oh now she couldn't remember…this was going to bother her all night. Rather than look like an idiot, Audrey simply feigned shock with wide eyes.

"Oh…really?"

…

The rest of the night passed quite pleasantly. Audrey adored the fact that she was accepted almost instantly into this small group of friends. She wondered if they knew how much it meant to her to be part of a group. It was just nice to have somebody other than Draco to talk to. Well, they did most of the talking, but Audrey was just glad to be involved.

As she was putting on her pajamas and pulling down her comforter, she found a small note tucked away under the sheets. She picked it up, quickly opening it so that the other girls wouldn't notice.

'Meet me outside the Hufflepuff common room, we need to talk. –D'

Audrey tucked the note into the elastic of her pants and glanced around to see what the others were doing.

"Um…I'm gonna go to the bathroom, I'll be right back." She said as she edged towards the door.

"Do you want me to go with you, in case you get lost?" Veronica asked. Audrey quickly shook her head, backing towards the door.

"No, that's okay, I'm sure that I'll be able to find it, thanks though!" she ducked out of the room and rushed through the common room to the portrait that acted as the secret doorway. She gently pushed open the door and glanced around to try and spot Draco.

"Psst, come here." Audrey jumped, glancing around to see Draco waiting in a dark corner. She slowly walked to him with a small blush on her face, noticing how under dressed he was. "How are you doing?"

"Fine, I've made friends, they're really nice." And she didn't have to worry about whether or not they came from good families. Draco nodded.

"I saw, I'm happy for you." He glanced around before leaning forward. "Look, you're going to hear some stuff about me that isn't exactly…flattering." Audrey gently licked her lips with a confused look on her face.

"I think that I already have…what's a Death Eater?" Draco grimaced.

"Don't worry about that, just don't listen to anybody when they talk about Death Eaters and You-Know-Who." Audrey furrowed her brow together.

"Who's You-Know-Who?" Draco shushed her, pulling her against his chest.

"Be quiet!" He exclaimed. "Just…don't say anything. If they talk about any of that stuff, just ask them to change the subject." Audrey let out an agitated sigh.

"What should I tell them?" She asked, no longer wanting to lie to her new group of friends. What Draco let slip out of his mouth next was something that he would regret for the rest of his life.

"Your mother was killed by Death Eaters." Audrey relaxed against Draco's chest, staring into his eyes and quietly relaxed against Draco's chest, staring into his eyes and quietly wondering whether or not that was really a lie, or secretly the truth. She simply nodded, stepping back into the dull light of the hallway.

"Okay…whatever you say." She turned to go back to her room, but Draco quickly called her back once he saw the depressed look on her face.

"Um…do you want to eat breakfast with me tomorrow morning?" Audrey hesitated.

"Am I allowed to eat at a different table?"

"Of course." He said, a slight smile pulling at the corners of his lips. Audrey smiled back, pushing back her long mane of hair.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow." He said with a slight nod. "Oh, and check your bedside drawer, that's where your tie and crest are." Audrey smiled softly at him.

"Thanks…goodnight Draco." She waved before she walked back into the common room. She quickly disappeared into her dorm room where she found her roommates on the ground playing with Josephine, or Jo as she was now lovingly referred to. As the sweet kitten pushed into her arms with a joyful meow, Audrey took her into her arms with a serious look on her face.

"Can I ask you guys a favor?" She asked quietly. They all nodded, the smiles slowly dropping from their faces. "Will you tell me everything that you know about Death Eaters?"

"Why would you need to know about Death Eaters?" Veronica curiously asked.

"I…down in Germany, we just don't hear about stuff like that, and I didn't really know what you were talking about earlier." She admitted with a small blush on her face.

"Oh don't worry, any private school would obviously not tell their students about You-Know-Who and Death Eaters." Kayla said with a small shrug. Audrey nodded.

"Yeah, we were pretty sheltered." Audrey swallowed the nervous lump in her throat, her fingers trembling as she held Jo close to her. "Please tell me what you know."


	13. Chapter 13

Audrey hesitantly walked to breakfast the next morning, her knees twitching as they entered the great hall. She waited at the door as the other girls walked towards the table.

"What's wrong Audrey?" Kayla asked as they took a seat at the end of the table.

"Um…I was actually invited to eat breakfast with somebody else this morning, but I'll meet you in class later! Bye!" She rushed away before they could ask any questions. Why was she so embarrassed to be with Draco? She had always worked so hard to get his attention before and now she was almost embarrassed to be seen with him. No, she had desperately longed for his attention, so she would enjoy it to the fullest. She walked to the Slytherin table, a few pairs of eyes following her as she walked up to Draco.

"Good morning." She said with a small smile. He scooted over and patted the spot next to him.

"Hey." He said, leaning over the table with his eye lids drooping. Audrey nervously served herself breakfast, feeling the attention on her and Draco slowly start to grow. Every bit of the food was cooked to perfection and tasted wonderful. It was almost better than the food served at home; even the fruit was sweeter. The strawberries here were practically euphoric. She smiled at Draco as she slowly ate, finding that he was about to fall asleep in his bowl of oatmeal.

"Are you all right?" She asked. Draco shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh.

"No, I didn't get much sleep last night." He muttered. "I kept getting owls from my mother telling me what to do with you."

"What did she say?"

The pair suddenly looked up when two extremely burly boys sat across from them. Audrey furrowed her brow together when the two boys just sat and stared at her. Draco grimaced.

"You two are disgusting." Draco spit out. "Stop staring at her and introduce yourselves." Audrey cautiously moved her food away from the boys once their pungent smell hit her nose.

"I'm Crabbe."

"I'm Goyle."

They introduced themselves so quickly that Audrey couldn't tell which was which. They did sort of look alike…why was Draco friends with these boys? They were so crude…but she had to be polite, so she smiled.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you, I'm Audrey." She awkwardly began to eat as the two boys just stared at her. Draco leaned over the table and smacked them both upside the head.

"Stop staring at her!" He exclaimed. They cowered with their heads lowered while Audrey just stared in wonder. He had such power over them despite the fact that they were both quite large. "Why can't you two behave normally?" He asked with narrowed eyes. Audrey glanced over at him.

"There's no need to be cruel." She told him. "You don't need to hit them just because they're slow." Draco cracked a smile. He started to laugh when the look of confusion persisted on Audrey's face.

"They're not slow, they're just stupid."

Draco quickly finished off his breakfast and abruptly stood up, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "Come on, I'll walk you to your first class." Audrey popped one last strawberry into her mouth before grabbing her bag and rushing after Draco. The people that had been staring at her earlier were joined by their friends as they watched the new girl from Germany rush after what appeared to be a very cold Draco Malfoy. None were more surprised than her newly made friends.

"Does she know him?" Tess asked as they all leaned back and watched her disappear. Veronica shook her head.

"I have no idea…but we need to have a talk with her."

…

"Draco, are we going to be eating all of our meals together?" Audrey asked.

"Probably not, but you might be able to meet with me a few times…and I could always come and eat with you." He offered as they slowly descended a dark stairway to her first class. Audrey hesitated with a big frown on her face. She hated dark and damp places, but Draco seemed perfectly comfortable among the dark stones.

"Are all the classes down here?" She asked nervously. Draco shook his head.

"Just potions." He told her. "You'll meet Professor Snape, he's my mentor and a close friend of my parent's."

"Was he at the Holiday Ball?"

"No, he's not much for parties." He said with a small shrug. "But he's heard all about you, you'll like him." Audrey nodded as they entered a long hallway and walked until they reached a tall wooden door. He knocked, earning a drawl that allowed him and Audrey to enter. A man shrouded all in black sat at his desk with his head lowered and his oily hair hanging in his face. As soon as they entered, he looked up with an unimpressed look on his face.

"Mr. Malfoy, you don't have my class until this afternoon, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to bring Audrey to her first class." He replied as they walked to the front of the class with Audrey following closely behind him. Professor Snape quickly rose from his seat and rushed to greet them both, shaking Audrey's hand with a sincere smile on his face.

"It is a true honor to meet you, I've heard many wonderful things about you." Audrey smiled at him, seeing that he was actually quite handsome without all that hair in his face.

"Forgive me, but I haven't heard much about you. It's Professor Snape, right?" He nodded as he pulled back his hand.

"Correct, and might I say that I am impressed with your transcripts. They're amazing considering the fact that you've been educated at home." Audrey blushed as students slowly started to trail into the classroom. Draco glanced over his shoulder before sighing.

"I have to go to class, I'll see you later." He said, giving her a small nudge before walking away. Professor Snape nodded and directed Audrey towards an empty table.

"Go ahead and take a seat, I'll have to assign you a new lab partner. You may have to tag along with another group before something can be arranged, I hope that you won't mind." Audrey simply shook her head as she took her seat. Then the thought struck her: why would it matter what she thought? He was the teacher, the ultimate judge in this classroom, why should she matter? Not to mention that she was a new student, so that clearly didn't help. This was quite the puzzle until Audrey was pulled from her thoughts by a strangely quiet Veronica. She pulled out a blank piece of parchment and placed it between them, quickly beginning to write as class started.

'Do you know Draco Malfoy?' The question was straight forward and to the point, just like Veronica.

'Yes, I've known him since I was a small child.'

'I thought that you lived in Germany.' Audrey grimaced, her quill hesitating over the parchment. It was either lie now, or lie later. Oh goodness, this was such a troubling situation.

'Can we talk about this later?'

'Sure.'

Veronica pulled back the parchment and turned it over to begin taking notes. Audrey sat perfectly still with a noticeable frown on her face. She knew that things would eventually fall apart and she would have to come up with some excuses, but she didn't think that it would happen so quickly.

Where were Draco and Narcissa when she needed them?


	14. Chapter 14

I just want you all to know that I've written at least thirty chapters to this story, so it will be going on for quite a while! I hope that you're ready!

...

The girls gave Audrey a few weeks to think about what she was going to tell them. They had tried to bring it up sooner, but Audrey would always defer from the question and try to ignore the fact that they were so curious. Honestly, she didn't know what to say. She was too scared to write to Narcissa and ask for advice, and she was even more afraid to ask Draco for help. While she did her best to avoid the question, the four girls bonded and became extremely close. Audrey had never been so happy to have friends. It was lovely to wake up and have them greet her with a wide smile. They would have study parties together, stay up all night talking, and sharing their deepest secrets. Audrey always felt guilty that she could never share her deepest secret, but she knew that eventually the truth would come out.

While Audrey was gently brushing Jo on her bed, the three girls slowly approached her. They climbed on the bed and stared at her and Audrey knew what was coming.

"How do you know Draco?" Veronica asked. Audrey could tell that this had been bothering her for quite a while.

"We've known each other since we were small children." Audrey admitted. Her lips tingled as the next few words slipped from her mouth. "We're engaged." The silence that instantly followed was piercing and made Audrey want to grab Jo and hide under her blankets. They all just stared at her, and it was clear that they were having trouble grasping the concept of Audrey and Draco being involved with each other.

"You're kidding." Kayla finally managed to say.

"No." Audrey muttered. "We've been engaged since I was three."

"I believe the correct term is betrothed." Veronica suddenly piped up, her lips pursed together. "You don't have a ring, so you two are just betrothed." Audrey shrugged her shoulders.

"I suppose so." Audrey let Jo slip from her hands and let her curl up into a little ball on her lap.

"When are you getting married?"

"I don't know." Audrey replied honestly. "Nobody will set a date, so I'm waiting."

"Where are your parents in all of this?" Veronica asked angrily. "Arranged marriages are supposed to be dead, what on earth were they thinking when they did this to you?"

"My parents are dead, I've never met them. I've lived with the Malfoy's practically all of my life." Audrey said. This was life for her, the life that she had always known, but she knew that this would be strange for the girls to understand.

"This should be reported, it's like slave labor!" Veronica rushed from the bed, but Audrey caught her hand and pulled her back.

"Please don't say anything!" She exclaimed with a heavy frown. "Nobody knows about this and I'm trusting you all to keep this a secret." Veronica ripped back her hand.

"How are we supposed to keep this a secret? You're just going to give up your life to be with a Death Eater?" She slowly started to back away, her eyes focused on Audrey's left forearm. "You're a Death Eater too, aren't you?" Audrey shook her head, watching the other girls rush away.

"No, that's not it at all! I'm not one of those!" Veronica slowly pulled out her wand, pointing it at Audrey.

"Show your Mark, or I'll do it for you!" Audrey furrowed her brow together.

"Mark? I don't know what you're talking about."

"The Dark Mark!" She exclaimed with the two girls hiding behind her. "Every Death Eater has one, but they can hide it…of course, I don't need to tell you this. Do it before I call the prefects!" Audrey was at a complete loss of words. What was she supposed to say to them? How was she supposed to convince them that she wasn't a Death Eater? She woke up Jo and took her into her arms, cautiously standing from her bed.

"I'm sorry, I don't know how to show you even if I had a Mark, but I have a feeling that you would all feel better if I just left." She whispered with sadness creeping into her voice. Veronica nodded.

"I think that that would be best." She stated firmly. Audrey let out a heavy sigh, holding Jo close.

"Well…it was nice while it lasted." She muttered as she turned away.

Why had she said anything? Secrets were truly deadly, even when shared. When she stepped out of the dorm room, she suddenly realized that she had nowhere to go. Great, they had kicked her out at the most inconvenient time. And she had Jo with her, what was she going to do?

…

Draco was snoring away, having an unusually sexual dream about Audrey that involved a policeman's baton. This only happened when he had been drinking, and he had had a lot to drink in the past few hours. He was watching Audrey slowly unbutton her uniform with huge sunglasses covering half of her face when there was suddenly an urgent tapping at the window next to his bed. His head shot up and he blinked, trying to take in his surroundings and understand what was going on. He pushed back his heavy covers and stumbled to the window, pulling back the curtains to take a look. A fluttering owl was hovering outside the window and he inwardly groaned.

Why?

It was almost midnight.

And he was really horny.

Why?

He opened the window and the owl landed on the windowsill and stuck out its talon. He took the note and shut the window, plopping down on his bed and grimacing at his painful erection.

'Please come to the hallway.'

Fuck.

Draco shuffled through his dorm room and through the common room, all the while trying to forget about Audrey in that damn police uniform. These erotic dreams with her had increased over the past couple of days. The circumstances had been getting weirder and the outfits had been getting sluttier.

When had Audrey become his sexual fantasy?

Perhaps it was the instant that he realized that she looked almost exactly like his favorite porn star...now every time he saw Trixie fucking twelve black guys, he would always picture Audrey...which was so damn disturbing he couldn't even begin to describe how strange he felt.

Draco stepped outside the common room, glancing around to see if anybody was standing there.

"Oh I'm so glad that you finally came outside!" Draco looked to the right to see a slim figure come running from around the corner. It was Audrey…dressed in a tank top and short shorts with her hair hanging in loose curls around her shoulders…and looking the hottest that he had ever seen her…fuck. "My roommates kicked me out." Draco furrowed his brow together as he shifted to try and hide his erection.

"Why the hell did they do that?"

"Because they think that I'm a Death Eater…like you." Audrey stared at her feet, listening to Draco let out a heavy sigh. "And I didn't know how to disprove them, so I just left. They kept saying something about a Mark that I couldn't show them…so to be safe, I left." Draco frowned, gently wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close.

"I'm sorry that your friends turned out to be bitches." He muttered against her hair. Audrey's eyes widened as she was pressed against his arm bare chest. He smelled like such a man, like sweat and expensive cologne and whiskey. It was so…exciting. Surprisingly exciting and Audrey didn't know what to do. So she simply rested against him and shut her eyes, feeling his intense heat surround her.

"Um…I was wondering…could I sleep with you tonight?" Audrey had taken a daring move. She hadn't simply asked to sleep on the common room couch; she had asked to sleep with him.

"Yeah, and tomorrow we'll go to Professor Snape and tell him what happened." Audrey shook her head as he guided her through the stone doorway, which quickly formed back into a wall.

"I don't want to make a big deal out of this." She whispered as they padded through the common room.

"Your roommates kicked you out for no good reason, of course this is a big deal. You're not a Death Eater."

"That's what I kept telling them!"

Audrey pursed her lips together as they walked into Draco's dorm room. It seemed that every boy was snoring away, and she wondered how either of them were going to get any sleep at all. Draco climbed in first and held out his hand so that Audrey could get in. She sat precariously on the edge and watched Draco shut his bed curtains before leaning back in his bed, an odd smirk on his face. As soon as he shut his curtains, the snoring instantly stopped.

"I created a spell that completely sound proofs the bed, these guys snore like drunken dogs."


	15. Chapter 15

And this next part is why this story is for mature audiences only...viewer discretion is advised.

...

Audrey furrowed her brow at the odd analogy that had somehow stumbled out of Draco's mouth, but it was quickly forgotten as Jo jumped from her arms and Draco started to pull her closer with a strange look in his eyes.

"Draco…"

"You can't sleep sitting there." He muttered, a smirk tugging at his lips. She landed next to him, using his arm as her pillow. He stared down at her with a smirk as he rested close to her on his side. "Comfortable?"

"Yes." She whispered.

"Do you want more blankets?"

"No, I'm fine." His body was so hot, it was making her so uncomfortable…and yet she didn't want to move away from him. "Draco…I'm confused." She whispered.

"What's wrong?" He asked, slowly running his fingers down her arm, leaving goose pimples in its wake. Audrey also couldn't help but squirm away from something hard poking her in the thigh. In the back of her mind, she knew exactly what it was, but for some reason she refused to acknowledge it.

"You…you're touching me." She whispered. Draco chuckled, pushing aside a few stray strands of hair covering Audrey's blushing face.

"Well, it is a very small bed, we can't exactly sleep without touching each other…and besides, you did ask to sleep with me." Audrey's entire body trembled as he touched her cheek and his face inched closer. "You're getting exactly what you asked for." Audrey squeezed her eyes shut as she felt his hot breath against her lips.

This was it; their first kiss.

Audrey didn't expect this to happen until they were standing at the altar, but as soon as his lips gently touched her, her entire body was consumed by an uncontrollable flame that swelled in her lower stomach. Draco pushed her down onto the bed and held her close, pressing his body against hers and grinding in a very erotic fashion that Audrey was having trouble understanding. She felt at a loss as Draco expertly touched her and kissed her.

Just as his hand was slowly inching towards her hip and his kisses going to her neck, the curtains to his bed were pulled back.

"Hey! Draco, wake the fuck whoa!"

With anger like Audrey had never seen, Draco ripped himself from Audrey and nearly strangled the boy that stood there.

"I'm busy." He said through clenched teeth. "What the fuck do you want, Zabini?" Audrey tried to pull back and hide herself in the remaining shadows, but that couldn't stop Zabini from catching a glimpse of Audrey's slim feet and her petite ankles.

"Hey Draco, who's the chick?" Draco narrowed his eyes as Zabini tried to catch a better glimpse of Audrey.

"Why would that matter to you?" He asked. Zabini leaned against the bed post, leering at Audrey as she shrunk back.

"Well, hello pretty girl." He said with a cat-like smirk. His eyes quickly darted to Draco. "Are you gonna share?" Draco shot up and forced Zabini to step away from his bed.

"Don't fucking touch her."

"Whoa man, don't get upset. Is she special or something?" Draco shoved at Zabini's shoulder.

"She's not like that." Draco muttered. Zabini laughed as the other boys started to slowly wake up.

"She's a virgin? Since when do you wanna fuck a virgin?" Audrey's heart sank as the boys began to gather around Zabini and Draco. He had had sex with other girls besides Pansy? He had done things with this boy and other girls too? Why hadn't he said anything?

"Look, she needed a place to sleep." Two boys, who Audrey recognized as Crabbe and Goyle, both waved to her.

"Hi Audrey."

"Hi Audrey." She innocently waved back, which only caused Zabini to laugh harder.

"Fuck, you'll share her with the wonder retards, but not with me? Shit mate, I thought that we were friends." He said with a loud laugh. Draco pushed him again, his face red with anger.

"I told you that she's not like that! I haven't shared her with anybody and I never will; she's mine!" Draco screamed at him, pushing against his chest. Zabini dared to take another long look at Audrey.

"Then let's make her like that." He grabbed her ankle and yanked Audrey to the edge of the bed, making her let out a loud yelp. "What do you say sweetheart, feel like being a good little slut for me tonight?" Audrey gasped as his hand was roughly pulled from her ankle and he was sent to the ground by a cracking punch. Draco was instantly on top of him, sending his face back and forth with his fists flying. Audrey scrambled against the headboard, tears spilling from her eyes. She feared moving from her spot and upsetting him further, so she had to be comforted by a fearful Jo, who had returned to her safe arms. She closed her eyes tightly and pushed the events happening around her away, silently wishing that they would just stop.

"What on earth are you boys doing?" Professor Snape, dressed in his sleeping robes, came storming in completely disheveled. He wrenched Draco off of Zabini as the boy helplessly gasped for air. "Outside, now Mr. Malfoy!" He screamed as he attempted to haul Draco out of the room. Audrey jumped when she felt a frail hand touch her shoulder.

"Come with me, Ms. Lidder." It was Professor McGonagall, looking as if she had been jolted from her sleep, which she probably had been. "Let Professor Snape deal with the boys, we'll go to my office and have a cup of tea and wait for things to get sorted. Come on, quickly dear." Audrey rushed behind the tall woman, not even chancing to look back at Draco. She couldn't help herself from crying, even after they had gone to her office and she had been served tea.

"I'm sorry; I'm usually not this emotional." She whispered as she was handed a neatly pressed handkerchief.

"Don't worry dear, just try to calm down…and you can put your cat in an extra cat bed if you'd like, no need to hold her." Audrey gently set Jo down in the closest bed, where she quickly curled up and fell asleep with her tail flicking against her arched back. "Now, would you mind telling me why you were in the Slytherin boy's dorm room in Draco Malfoy's bed?" Audrey sighed, wiping her face free from any tears.

"My roommates kicked me out…and Draco said that I could spend the night with him…and then things sort of got out of hand." Professor McGonagall furrowed her brow together.

"Why did your roommates kick you out?"

"Because they think that I'm a Death Eater and I didn't have any way to disprove them." Professor McGonagall sighed.

"Oh goodness, that is quite a mess." She stared at her with a blank stare. "For the record, are you a Death Eater?" Audrey quickly shook her head as she clung to the arms of her chair.

"No ma'am, I'm still a bit confused as to what a Death Eater is." Audrey confessed innocently. Professor McGonagall slowly nodded, letting a small smile slip.

"Good, then we'll settle this whole thing tomorrow morning. For tonight, you will sleep in the hospital wing. And if I catch you in bed with Mr. Malfoy again, the punishment will be severe, do you understand?" Audrey nodded, feeling her face turn bright red.

"Yes, I understand.

"Good, then off to bed with you, Madame Pomfrey is waiting for you."


	16. Chapter 16

This chapter is sort of small...so I'm gonna be nice and upload TWO chapters today! I hope that you enjoy!

...

By the next morning, the story of Audrey and Draco had been leaked to the entire school. Everybody knew every detail of what happened. The Beating of Zabini, as it was being called, would live on years after Draco had left. One thing was clear to everybody: Draco and Audrey were an item and there was no way that either of them could deny that.

Audrey stepped from the hospital wing, looking from side to side to make sure that the coast was clear. It wasn't, but at least she was in good company.

"Good morning, did you get any sleep?" Draco asked her, casually approaching her with his hands in his pockets. Audrey shook her head as they slowly began to walk aimlessly through the halls.

"I couldn't stop thinking about that boy." She admitted. "What happened to him, is he all right?" Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know. I'm pretty sure that they were able to fix his broken nose, but he'll have some bruises." Audrey gasped, her knees suddenly going weak.

"You broke his nose?" Draco nodded, his expression unchanging. "Why would you do that?"

"He wanted to fuck you!" He screamed. "I've seen the way that Zabini treats women, he's rough and sometimes violent…if I ever let that happen to you, I would kill myself." Audrey stared at him silently before speaking again.

"How would you know how he treats women?" Draco grimaced.

"Because I'm stupid and I do stupid shit." Audrey bit her lower lip, letting her hand slip and smack him in the side.

"If you know that you're doing something stupid, then why do you do it?" She asked angrily. Draco grabbed her hand, pulling her back to a stop.

"Look, I never said that I was a good person." Audrey yanked back her hand with a heavy frown.

"Yes, but you could at least try to be good." Audrey stepped around him and began walking, biting hard on her lower lip.

"Audrey? Audrey! Come on, I was protecting you!" She just shook her head, turning the corner and doing her best to ignore the fact that he was obviously very angry. Now she had to focus on getting back into her dorm room…then she could deal with Draco's apparent sex addiction.

…

Hogwarts had seen its share of odd things, but lunch that day would see something particularly strange. Draco Malfoy, fresh from his Zabini beating, slowly walked into the great hall with all eyes on him. Instead of heading for the Slytherin table, he took a surprising detour and made a B-line for the Gryffindor table. He stopped right behind Hermione Granger, who was well aware of who was behind her.

"I thought that you refused to associate with me." She muttered as she kept her attention on her juice.

"May I please speak to you privately?" He asked with a straight face. Hermione looked back with a cocked eyebrow.

"What do you want?" Draco frowned, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Bug off Malfoy, go be with your girlfriend." Ron told him with his eyes narrowed. Draco ignored him.

"I…need your…help." Hermione's jaw dropped.

"What?"

"Can we please talk privately?"

Intrigued, Hermione stood up and followed after Draco as he led her just outside of the door. They knew as soon as they turned the corner, the entire room would erupt in conversation, but they tried to ignore that.

"I'm curious, what on earth do you need my help with?" She asked, crossing her arms and popping out her hip.

"You've seen Audrey around, right?" Hermione quirked an eyebrow.

"The new Hufflepuff girl that you almost killed Zabinin over? Yes, I've seen her, she looked like a sweet girl…and it astounds me that she's with you." Draco scoffed.

"Me too." Draco blurted out. "But I need you to do something to help her."

"All right…" Hermione slowly said.

"First off, she needs tutoring in transfiguration and charms, she's having troubles keeping her spells straight." Hermione furrowed her brow together.

"How would you know about her grades?"

"I just do." He shot back. "Also, her roommates have started being bitches because of certain…indiscressions. I don't trust them anymore, introduce her to some good girls, would you?" By this point, Hermione had become outrageously confused.

"I…I don't understand at all what you just said. How serious is this relationship?" Draco shook his head.

"No questions, just know that I'm concerned about her." Hermione shook her head with a small smile.

"I don't think that I ever pictured you as somebody who would ever care about another person."

"Audrey's different." Draco quickly said.

"I know, I can tell." Draco eyed her, cautious about the strange smile that Hermione had on her face.

"Then you'll do it?" He asked. After a moment of contemplation, Hermione nodded.

"I'll tutor her, but I can't promise any friends." Draco nodded.

"That's fine, I just want her to have some human contact. She gets so damn lonely." Hermione just stared at him with the strangest look, causing Draco's cheeks to turn bright pink. "What's the matter with you?" Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, it's sort of nice to see that you care about somebody. It's like watching a guerilla care for a kitten."

"I'm not a guerilla." Draco muttered with his eyes narrowed.

"I know, but Audrey's as kind and delicate as a kitten…you should be careful, don't pull her into your world…we know how dangerous it can be." They stared at each other for a long while before Draco looked away and headed towards the dungeons.

"She's sitting on the edge of the Hufflepuff table, feel free to say hello."


	17. Chapter 17

Hermione, feeling a strange sense of hope for humanity, walked back into the great hall and instantly spotted Audrey. She had a bowl of fruit next to a large book, which she red with her lips quietly moving. Hermione recognized it as a Charms book, and felt a tug at her heart as she watched the poor girl try to memorize what she could. With her head held high, she walked up to the girl and sat across from her.

"Hello, my name is Hermione Granger, are you Audrey Lidder?" She blinked, glancing up from her book to the girl that now sat across from her. She was from Gryffindor, her tie gave her away, and Audrey had often seen her walking around with two other boys whom Draco seemed to despise.

"Yes, I'm Audrey Lidder, it's very nice to meet you." She said as she closed her book and pushed it aside.

"Perhaps I should explain, Professor McGonagall sent me, she said that your grades have been slipping." Audrey nodded with a frown.

"Yes, I've been having troubles memorizing spells and my objects always come out wrong." She admitted. "Once I turned a dove into a feathery chandelier…it was so embarrassing."

"Would you like some help? I could tutor you in anything you're having trouble with." Audrey's face instantly lit up and Hermione instantly saw why Draco even gave this girl the time of day. She was so pure and innocent and she seemed like the person who would find the good in everybody. It was a good quality to have, seeing as she was dating Draco.

"That would be wonderful!" Audrey exclaimed. Hermione smiled back, finding her smile too infectious to ignore.

"Good, are you free Saturday?"

"Of course, I'm so excited, thank you so much!" She said happily. "Come get me when you're done eating breakfast, I'll be ready." Hermione nodded as the young girl grabbed her book and stood up.

"Wonderful, I'll see you then." Hermione watched her rush out the door and was surprised to see that Draco was there waiting for her. He took her book and then her hand, offering her a strangely affectionate smile; something that Hermione had never seen before. He then caught Hermione's eye and nodded before the pair walked away. It left Hermione completely astounded and confused. She wasn't sure why she had agreed to help; maybe it was because Audrey was such an innocent participant in Draco's game? Still, Hermione wanted everybody to know: she was only doing this because Audrey needed help, not because she had been asked by the scum of the earth.

…

That night, when Audrey went back into her dorm room, she was greeted by apologies and a giant plate of ginger cookies.

"I shouldn't have jumped to such a horrendous assumption." Veronica said as the cookies were passed around their small circle.

"It's all right." Audrey muttered. "Just…promise me that you won't tell anybody what I told you about Draco and myself."

"We haven't said anything." Tess quickly told her. "After you left, we all felt really bad and we wanted to go and find you and apologize, but we didn't know where you had gone."

"But you were only being careful." Audrey said with a nod. "And I don't hold that against you."

"If we hadn't kicked you out, then Blaise Zabini wouldn't have gotten beaten up."

"Well, that's not entirely a bad thing." Veronica said with a sly smile. "That guy is a notorious womanizer and he's hit on almost every girl in the school." Audrey scrunched up her face as Jo began to innocently play with the back of her long braid.

"I don't know why Draco hangs out with some of these people; some of them are so rude."

"Well, to be honest, we're surprised that you're even making the effort to be with Draco. If I can be blunt, you deserve someone better." Kayla told her. Audrey sighed, pulling her braid away from Jo's small claws.

"Sometimes I think that too…but I've seen Draco's good side and it's too wonderful to ignore. When he's good, he's so overwhelmingly kind and considerate…it's just overshadowed by all of the bad things that he does."

"Which is the majority of his personality." Veronica muttered. "Would it hurt to at least date somebody else?" Audrey's eyes went wide with shock.

"I could never do that." She said, quickly shaking her head. Veronica shrugged her shoulders.

"The way that I see it, you two are going to get married, so why not play the field? See what else it out there, go on a few dates, kiss a few boys!" Audrey shook her head, her eyes drifting to the floor.

"My worth would be brought into question. Another family could claim that I wasn't pure and they could put their own daughter into my place." All of their jaws dropped as the thought tried to compute in their minds. "It's a very old fashioned system."

"Where are all of these weird people?" Veronica asked, clearly very confused. "I mean, is there some preserved Victorian society out there that we don't know about?" Audrey smirked.

"I suppose you could compare us to a royal family…I never got to meet my parents, but I think that my father was really important." She shrugged her shoulders. "The way that I see it, this was the one thing that they wanted me to do so I should do it." Veronica sighed.

"That's not a good enough reason." She said. "But at least you're not just following Draco around mindlessly." She smiled at her sweetly. "Some people just have their own way, so we'll keep quiet about it and we promise not to tell anybody about the wedding." Audrey smirked, taking a huge bite from her ginger cookie.

"Great, and these cookies are great, who made them?"


	18. Chapter 18

This chapter makes me laugh every time, I hope that you enjoy! And thanks again for adding this story to your favorites and thanks for reviewing, it's good to know that you guys are really enjoying this story!

...

Draco relaxed in his common room, leaning back in a large black leather chair. Being a couple in public with Audrey was actually quite liberating. They didn't have to inch around their whole engagement issue, now they could really tell people that they were a couple and say nothing more about it. And that made Audrey happy, which surprisingly made Draco happy too. He was extremely pleased to see her healthy and happy. It helped that they were making out almost every chance that they got, but Audrey was still stumbling along with each kiss. Thankfully, she was starting to learn and was getting much better.

Draco's ears perked up when he heard a door behind him suddenly open. A pair of very slow footsteps came striding down the stairs and Draco was instantly dreading whoever was about to step in front of him. He focused as hard as he could on the crackling fire, but couldn't help but look up when Pansy stepped in front of him. Pansy was a complete slut, loose in every way, physically and emotionally, but when she put effort into it, she could look really fucking hot. She wore black lace lingerie, Draco's favorite…at least it used to be his favorite when they were still fucking.

"What do you want Pansy?" He muttered with his eyes focused on her face. He was determined to keep his eyes on her face and off of her body, but there was no guarantee that he would actually succeed.

"I've decided something." She said, slowly and seductively sitting down in Draco's lap. She arched her back, pressing her beasts into his arm. "Rich men have socially acceptable wives while keeping mistresses on the side. So, I figure, you marry that little stuck up bitch, and then keep me on the side. Pop out some kids with her, and then eventually run away with me while she's stuck with the brats. Then we start our lives, and we forget about her." Draco swiftly stood up, letting Pansy drop to the floor.

"Are you out of your mind?" He asked angrily. "I don't want you, Audrey and I are together, and you're no longer involved." Pansy narrowed her eyes and swiftly stood up and pulled on Draco's arm.

"What does she have that I don't have? I'm prettier, smarter; I know that I'm a better fuck! I'm the better choice for you!"

"In your opinion." Draco muttered. Pansy cocked an eyebrow curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"You act like you know me so well, but you don't know what I need." Pansy tightened her grip on Draco's arm.

"But I know that you want." Draco shook his head.

"That's not the same thing." He said. "You're not going to be my wife, my mistress, or my girlfriend, so stop it. Move on and find somebody else to fuck you." Draco sat down and sank against the leather as Pansy just stood there and stared at the side of his face.

"You told me so many times that you hated her and that you could never imagine being with her."

"I changed my mind, which tends to happen with people." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "You should prepare yourself so that you're not so shocked the next time that it happens. The look of shock doesn't exactly suit you, especially when you're practically naked." Pansy stomped her foot with an angry scowl.

"This isn't over!" She exclaimed angrily before storming up the stairs. "You act so high and mighty, but somebody's bound to knock you down eventually!" Draco listened to her rant as she walked back to her dorm room and slammed the door. He rushed out of the common room and away from the dungeons, his blood absolutely boiling.

Why did Pansy always manage to piss him off?

Even when they were dating, she would say something that would just send him over the edge. Then he would cool down and then they would fuck like wild animals. The sex was always incredible after wards, but nothing was ever solved. At least with Audrey, he could talk and actually have a civilized conversation. Audrey was polite and smart and quite pretty; this was the girl that Draco was supposed to be with. Although he was still so against the idea of being forced to marry her, at least he didn't detest her anymore. In fact, he was starting to grow rather fond of her.

Draco was surprised that his feet carried him to the Hufflepuff common room, where he waited a bit until somebody finally came out.

"Hey, do me a favor." He had caught a scrawny second year boy that looked absolutely mortified when Draco caught his arm. Clearly, Draco's reputation preceded him.

"Please, I'm sorry, please don't hurt me!" He exclaimed nervously. Draco quickly shook his head.

"No, I'm not going to hurt you, could you just go back inside and get Audrey Lidder for me?" He asked. The boy quickly nodded and ran back inside, nearly tripping over his own feet. Within a few minutes, Audrey walked out with five cookies in hand.

"Oh, hello, shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I could ask the same of you." Draco smirked as Audrey slowly began to eat one of the cookies. "Where did you get those?"

"Tess made them for me. Here, I brought these out for you." She handed him the other four cookies. He hesitantly took them, but then he just stared at her. "Is something the matter?"

"I want you to sleep with me." Draco suddenly blurted out. The color slowly drained from Audrey's face, a large bite of chewed up cookie sitting on her tongue. "And I don't want to just sleep." Audrey dropped the remaining cookie, feeling the majority of her body go numb. She managed to swallow and take in a few deep gulps of air.

"I'm not sure that I understand…"

"I want to make love to you tonight." He said, being as clear as he possibly could. The color quickly returned to Audrey's face and she suddenly became aware of the fact that she looked like a ripe tomato.

"Um…okay, like, right now?" Draco slowly approached her, pulling her towards him by placing a firm hand on the small of her back. He roughly yanked her forward and kissed her hard, hearing her whimper as he ran his hands up her body. She gasped and squirmed against him as Draco reached up and grasped the back of her head. The girl had absolutely no kissing experience, and Draco actually preferred it that way. The thought crept into his mind that he would have to teach her everything. Kissing would just be the beginning of course, but then there were the dozens of different things that Draco loved to do. They would explore everything; all the while Audrey blushed and whimpered like the innocent girl that she was. That one thought sent every ounce of blood to his crotch to make for one painful erection.

Draco picked up Audrey, holding her by her ass as he backed her up into the wall. She gasped as her naked shoulders hit the cool stones. He wanted to take her right now. He wanted to take off her shorts and underwear and fuck her right here.

"Hey, you two, not in the hallways!" Audrey gasped and ripped herself away from Draco and ran back into the common room. Draco leaned his forehead against the wall as two prefects approached him.

"Malfoy, it's past curfew." Draco looked p to see Hermione and Ron walking towards him with their prefect badges gleaming. "You shouldn't be here." Ron told him. Draco narrowed his eyes, pushing away from the wall and not even making the attempt to hide his erection.

"You know, I wouldn't interrupt you if you were about to get some." Hermione blushed, but kept her gaze locked with Draco's.

"It's past curfew, please return to your dorm room before we notify the teachers." Draco sighed heavily, feeling his temples and crotch throb from frustration.

"It's not like either of you would understand what 'get some' means." He said as he turned and began to stalk away.

"Hey, I know what 'get some' means!" Ron called after him.

"'Getting some' does not include your hand."


	19. Chapter 19

Oh goodness, and now things just get more complicated than they were before...but I hope that you all enjoy!

...

For the first time, Audrey felt that things were finally right in the universe. She had her friends back; she and Draco were officially a couple, which apparently included a lot of random snogging in the hallways. Narcissa and Lucius were extremely pleased, Audrey had finally reached a healthy weight, and she was about to meet with Hermione for their first tutoring session. If things could just stay like this forever, Audrey would be overjoyed. At the same time, Audrey knew that what goes up must come down. And things just happened to come down in the form of a letter.

As she sat eating breakfast, happy in a pair of yoga pants and a clingy tee-shirt, the mail arrived. Audrey never expected to receive anything, but that day a delicate envelope slid right under her hand, thanks to a beautiful black owl. It chirped at her before he fluttered away. She cowered back and quickly opened her letter while the other girls were distracted with their own mail. She didn't recognize the stationary or the hand writing, and she was suddenly very confused. Besides Narcissa, who else would write to her while she was here?

'My sweet Audrey,

'I fear that it has been too long since we were last in contact. I know that you said that you never wanted anything to do with me after our last encounter, but I must confess that I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I see your face everywhere and have on a few occasions mistaken another girl for you. I am writing you this letter to apologize once more and to also beg for some form of reconciliation. My actions at the party were very ungentlemanly of me, and I truly am sorry. Please, let me take you out to dinner and apologize to you in person. A letter is so impersonal and I would like one last chance to see your beautiful face.

'Sincerely,

'Emerson Reynolds'

Audrey sighed as she stuffed the letter back into its envelope.

Wonderful, one more boy dilemma to deal with.

And she was just getting better acquainted with Draco…

"Is something the matter?" Tess asked, nodding towards the letter. Audrey shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm not really sure…"

"Who's it from?" They all looked far too interested in the letter, so there was no way that this topic would be dismissed. Audrey nibbled on her lower lip.

"A boy…"

"An ex?" She again shrugged her shoulders, not quite sure how to classify Emerson. They had never actually dated, but she had had fantasies about being with him instead of Draco...but that was before Draco actually began to took an interest in her.

"No…a boy that was interested in me, but I turned him down." Veronica quirked an eyebrow.

"Looks like he wrote you an awfully long letter…what did he say, if you don't mind me asking?" Audrey shook her head.

"Not at all. He just asked if he could take me out to dinner to apologize. We kinda parted on bad terms, and I guess he feels bad about it."

"Cool, free dinner." Kayla said with a small giggle. Audrey smirked, tucking the letter away into her worn canvas bag.

"That's not why I'm going…and I don't think that I should go."

"Why not?"

"Draco." Audrey quickly responded. "He doesn't like this boy, and it would just upset him to know that I got a letter from him…and I don't want to imagine what he would do if I actually went to dinner with him." Tess shivered.

"It would be a repeat of the Zabini Beating." Audrey shook her head.

"No, he would fight back…" Audrey could just imagine the fight that would ensue if the two boys ever met again. She didn't know who would emerge victorious, but she didn't want to see that fight.

"Then best not to get involved." Veronica said with a strong nod. "He should respect the fact that you and Draco are together." Audrey nodded in agreement.

"You're right, I shouldn't think about it."

"Good morning Audrey, are you ready to go?" Audrey looked up to see Hermione standing over with two large books tucked under each arm. She popped up with her bag quickly strapped over her shoulder.

"Yes, good morning!" Hermione smiled.

"Good morning. Come on, Professor McGonagall is letting us use her classroom for today." Audrey nodded, following closely after Hermione as she strode towards the door.

"Hey Audrey, wait a second!"

The two girls instantly stopped as Draco jogged towards them from the Slytherin table. With a wide smile, he wrapped his arms around a shocked Audrey and kissed her with every single person watching them. Audrey noticed that this wasn't as aggressive a kiss as the other night when Draco had cornered her in the hallway, but it was still hot and passionate, and made Audrey's entire body tingle. He pulled away from her, gently kissing her forehead before slowly letting go of her. Hermione raised an eyebrow as she watched a completely dazed Audrey gently hold onto Draco to keep her balance.

"Was that really necessary?" She asked, putting a hand on her hip. Draco's smirk widened as he stepped back from Audrey.

"Have a good day studying; I'll see you at dinner." He said, ignoring Hermione. Audrey nodded as Hermione pulled her out of the great hall and down the hallway. Audrey stumbled after her with a huge smile on her face, not able to shake the glee from her face.

"So, I take it that things with Draco are going well?" She asked with a slightly distained look on her face. This relationship bothered her, but as long as Audrey was happy, she wouldn't say anything. As long as Draco didn't get abusive, she would keep her mouth shut. Audrey shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess so…I'm not sure, I've never had a boyfriend before, is it normal to always be kissing?" Hermione sighed with a little smirk.

"Yes, it's normal." She muttered with a slight blush. Audrey rushed up to walk beside her.

"Do you have a boyfriend? What's his name? Is he in the same house as you?" Hermione quickly shook her head.

"Not now, I used to…and kissing in the beginning is very normal." Audrey furrowed her brow together.

"What do you mean in the beginning?" She asked. "Don't couples continue to be affectionate towards each other?"

"Depends on the couple." Hermione commented. "Take Draco's parents for example: they're married, but I don't think that they ever show affection towards each other." Audrey thought back and started to realize how right Hermione was. She had never seen Narcissa and Lucius even hold hands. There was literally no way to tell that the pair was even married; they didn't even wear wedding rings. Was that how she and Draco were going to turn out?

"No." she muttered. Hermione glanced over at her with a raised eyebrow.

"No what?" Audrey shook her head with a slight blush on her face.

"Sorry, I was just talking to myself."


	20. Chapter 20

Harry and Ron finally make it into the story...and it's kinda cute...

...

Hermione was surprised to find that Audrey was a particularly smart girl. She had troubles studying and keeping her facts straight, but once she sorted things out in her mind, she could tell you anything that you wanted to know. While Audrey continued to diligently take notes, Hermione secretly wondered what the education system had been like at that private school in Germany. To be in a private school spoke about her social standing in this world, saying that she either had the best grades the school had seen and she had earned a full scholarship, or her parents were loaded. Either way, Audrey would have no trouble advancing in the world…as long as she got rid of Malfoy…

"I don't think that you'll need me after today." Hermione said confidently. "I think that you'll do very well on the rest of your assignments." Audrey smiled widely.

"You're extremely bright, you just have to work on your memorization skills, but I have confidence that you can do it. Make some flash cards, that always helps me memorize things." Audrey pushed aside one of the giant volumes with a big smile spread across her face.

"I'm sure that Draco wouldn't mind quizzing me." The corner of Hermione's mouth twitched as she lost her control and asked the question that she had wanted to ask the whole time.

"Why him?" She asked, shaking her head. "Of all the men in this school, in the world, why would you pick Draco Malfoy?"

"Excuse me?" Audrey wasn't offended, she was honestly confused. Hermione sighed as she stared into Audrey's very confused eyes.

"I mean, you're so sweet and he's so…well, he's Draco." She said with a small shrug. "Why are you with him?" Audrey sighed, nibbling on her lower lip.

"It's a very long story…very complicated."

"I wouldn't mind hearing it if you wouldn't mind telling me." Audrey squirmed in her seat, nervously tracing the wooden lines on the table.

"I don't know if I should tell you…do you promise not to tell anybody?" She asked. Hermione furrowed her brow together as Audrey nervously looked from side to side as if checking the room to make sure that they were the only two in here. Why the secrecy?

"It can't be that bad." She giggled slightly. "It's not like you two are being forced to date each other." Audrey stared at her as she continued to laugh, but the laughter slowly died down as it dawned upon Hermione that she had somehow stumbled onto the truth. "No…you cannot be serious…somebody is forcing you to date each other?"

"Well…we're actually engaged." The color drained from Hermione's face.

"Why…why would you agree to do something like that?"

"I didn't agree…I mean I do agree, but it was arranged by my parents before I was born, even before Draco was born. They've been planning this for quite a while." Hermione's jaw dropped as Audrey nervously bit her lip. "You won't tell people, will you?" Hermione finally managed to shut her mouth, her eyes almost as large as her books.

"No." She quickly said. "But…this is so shocking." Audrey frowned at Hermione's negative reaction. She suddenly felt the urge to cry as Hermione just continued to stare at her with those harsh, judging eyes.

"At least Draco is paying attention to me now. It took years before he would even talk to me." Hermione furrowed her brow together.

"Now?" She asked. "What do you mean that he ignored you?" Hermione shook her head, throwing down her quill. "I'm sorry, but how can you just accept that?"

"It's been my life; this is all that my parents ever wanted me to do, and I don't want to disappoint them." Hermione frowned.

"That's not a very good reason." She told her bluntly. Audrey nodded.

"I know…but if I turn Draco down, I have nowhere else to go." She gathered her things and carefully packed them away in her canvas saddlebag. "Thank you for helping me, I'll try and return the favor."

"Audrey, wait, please." She called out, jumping to her feet. "I didn't mean to upset you." Audrey quickly shook her head.

"You didn't upset me, it's noon and I want to meet Draco for lunch." Hermione quickly grabbed all of her things and ran to walk with Audrey.

"Hey, what are you doing tonight?" She asked as they briskly walked down the stairs to join the rest of the students.

"Nothing, I was just going to do some reading." She shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing too exciting."

"Would you like to come and hang out with my friends and me? We were just going to the Quidditch field. They're going to fly around and practice and I was going to just sit and watch, but you're welcome to come and sit with me." Audrey tucked a bit of hair behind her ear.

"You just sit out there? Won't you be cold?"

"Depends on how high you sit up, but we can sit low in the stands. You should come, it'll be fun." Audrey nibbled on her lower lip as they arrived in the great hall, glancing over to where Draco was sitting.

"I don't know…"

"Come on, meet more guys. Guys can be your friends too." Hermione reminded her. Audrey blushed.

"…I knew that." She quickly muttered, blushing from embarrassment. "And…sure, I'll come with you." Hermione smiled widely, gently nudging Audrey in the arm.

"Great, I'll meet you here around seven, sound good?" Audrey quickly nodded.

"Sounds great, I'll be here." Audrey smiled widely as Hermione walked back to her table. She was so proud of herself for making so many friends! She knew that she would never be popular, but to have a good group of friends was exactly what she had dreamt of. She had Draco, friends, and an adorable cat…now she just had to get rid of Emerson. She hoped that a letter would take care of him, but in the back of her mind, Audrey knew that she would see Emerson again.

…

Packing up the remaining ginger cookies, Audrey grabbed a sweater and rushed down to meet Hermione and her friends. She was so excited; adrenaline was coursing through her body as she skipped down the stairs. She hoped that they would like her…the cookies were sure to help!

"There she is, come on Audrey!" Hermione called up at her, waiting for Audrey at the bottom of the stairs. Audrey rushed down with her red cookie tin tucked securely under her arm. "What did you bring?"

"Cookies, my roommate made them and we had lots left over."

"Cookies? What kind?" Audrey glanced to her side, towards the front door, and saw two tall boys standing there. They wore clothing that had obviously been used a great deal and were holding broomsticks.

"Ginger cookies." She said innocently.

"My favorite!" A boy with red hair rushed towards her with an eager smile on his face. "Can I have a few now?" Audrey nodded, quickly pulling off the lid to the tin and presenting them to the boy. He grabbed three and stuffed them into his mouth, letting out a loud groan. "So good!" He exclaimed, a few crumbs flying out of his mouth.

"You know, it's very impolite to just take food from somebody without even introducing yourself." Hermione told him. "And it's even worse when you spit on people." The boy quickly wiped his mouth with his sleeve before sticking out his hand.

"I'm Ron Weasley." Audrey shook his hand, noticing how warm and rough his skin was. It was such a contrast to Draco's hands, which were usually smooth and his nails finely manicured.

"I'm Audrey Lidder."

"And that's Harry Potter."

Hermione motioned to the other slightly shorter boy with tousled black hair and startling green eyes, shaded by a pair of round, spindly glasses. He was looking at something on the end of his broomstick, completely ignoring the rest of them. Audrey stared at him. She didn't know if the lighting where she was standing was weird, but there was some sort of strange glow around him. He looked inhuman, almost otherworldly.

"Harry? Harry? Earth to Harry, hello?" He suddenly jerked his head up and looked between the three of them, obviously very confused.

"What?"

"This is Audrey. I told you that she was going to come with us, remember?" Ron nudged him as he casually walked by him.

"Malfoy's girlfriend." He whispered, as a reminder…as if they had been talking about her earlier. It made her heart sink slightly, but she kept a brave smile on her face.

"Right, hello, nice to meet you." He waved to her with a strangely charming smile. She smiled back and they all headed down to the Quidditch field, ginger cookies in tow.


	21. Chapter 21

I totally spaced that today was Friday, so I figured that I should post something...how about DOUBLE CHAPTER FRIDAY?

...

With some convincing and gentle nudging from his mother, Draco had finally gotten into a somewhat romantic mood. And this time, romantic didn't include anything sexual.

Shocking, yes.

Draco had cornered off a spare classroom and organized a small dinner for Audrey. He had cleared away the chairs and tables, laid down a blanket and arranged a sort of nest of pillows and blankets. The lights had been lowered and he had enchanted the roof to make it look like the night sky. If, after dinner, Audrey was in the mood to snog and if she wanted to take her top off, he wouldn't stop her, but he was under strict instructions not to force it. His mother knew him far too well.

When Draco went knocking on the Hufflepuff dorm room door, he found her roommates, but no Audrey.

"Is she in the library?" Draco asked the one who had answered the door, the blond one. Damn, what was her name again?

"She's gone with Hermione to the Quidditch field to watch some practicing."

It suddenly struck Draco that perhaps he hadn't been specific enough with Hermione. He wanted her to meet and be friends with other girls, not Potter and Weasley.

"Thanks for your help." Draco muttered before rushing away and heading straight for the Quidditch field.

Outside, Hermione and Audrey found themselves giggling at the scene above them.

"I thought that you had to be good at flying to play Quidditch." Audrey commented. Hermione rolled her eyes with a smirk.

"That's usually the case, but Ron is…special."

They looked up again. While Harry was gliding around the field with speed and the greatest of ease, Ron was barely able to keep up with him on a sputtering broomstick.

"To be fair, Harry's broom is much nicer than Ron's." Audrey nodded as the two boys descended in front of them.

"A seeker has to have a fast broom." Harry said with a shrug. Audrey innocently bit her lower lip, looking between the two boys.

"What's a seeker?" She asked them. It took them a moment to realize that she was being serious.

"Have you ever seen a Quidditch game?" Hermione asked. Audrey slowly shook her head.

"I know that it's a game…but I've never seen a game."

"The seeker's job is to find the snitch. The snitch is an extremely small and fast ball. If I catch the snitch, my team wins." A brilliant smile instantly popped onto Audrey's face.

"You're so fast, your team must win a lot." She said. Harry did his best to hide the goofy grin that was trying to break onto his face.

"Nah, I'm okay."

"Harry's being far too modest." Hermione interjected. "They've won the Quidditch cup almost every year since he's joined the team. He's very good, possibly the best the school has ever seen." Audrey was beyond amazed by this point, staring at Harry with stars in her eyes.

"That's incredible!" She gushed enthusiastically. "I could never fly up there so high, I would be too scared." She grimaced slightly. "Actually, I never learned how to fly."

"That's ridiculous!" Ron exclaimed as he snatched up Audrey's cookie tin. "Every school makes it a requirement that first years are at least taught the basics." Hermione avidly nodded.

"Yes, why didn't they teach you how to fly? I would expect a private school to continue lessons for maybe two years." She stated firmly. Audrey shrugged her shoulders.

"It was an all girl's school, I don't think that they thought that it was necessary addition to the curriculum." Ron stared at her with a dropped jaw.

"All girls school?"

"Stop it, right now." Hermione said harshly before he could say anything else. Harry laughed.

"Every good witch has to know how to fly." He held out his hand to Audrey with a wide smile. "Come on, I'll teach you." Audrey hesitated with a heavy blush on her face.

"Oh no…I wouldn't want to take away from your practice time." Harry shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, we've got plenty of time to practice before our next game." She shook her head again, but that didn't seem to discourage him. "At least let me take you for a lap around the field." Hermione nudged Audrey in the side with her elbow.

"Go on, flying is so much fun!" She exclaimed enthusiastically. Audrey bit her lower lip, still contemplating.

"You couldn't be in better hands." Ron boasted with a mouth full of cookie. "Harry's the best man to fly with." Audrey looked up at him, flashing him another brilliant smile…at least in Harry's opinion it was brilliant.

"Well, with such kind words, I guess that I can't say no, can I?" Harry slowly shook his head with a chuckle.

"No, you really can't." Audrey giggled, standing up and offering her hand.

"Help me up?"

For some reason, Harry blushed as he stared at her hand. It was so pale and fragile, he was afraid that he might break it if he took it. He lowered his broom and helped her on, waiting as she positioned herself in front of him. Their bodies were pressed so tightly together, but Audrey knew that it had to be that way for safety reasons. They hovered away from the stands and Audrey felt her heart begin to thud.

"I'm scared." She whispered, shutting her eyes as tightly as she could. Harry smirked, slowly starting to make his way around the field.

"It's all right, I've got you." He whispered into her ear. "I'll keep you safe." Audrey's face flushed tomato red as the heat radiating from Harry's body seemed to intensify. It suddenly occurred to Audrey that Harry was actually really cute…possibly cuter than Draco…was that possible?

"Thank you." She said, looking over her shoulder. Harry's face was so close; Audrey could feel his hot breath on her cool cheek.

"Potter!"

The broomstick shuddered slightly as they stopped and looked down to see a very angry Draco walking onto the field. Audrey was no longer afraid of the height that they were at; she was afraid of what Draco was about to do.

"Please take me down." Audrey called back to Harry. He quickly nodded and they dove down, landing only a few feet from Draco. She was off the broomstick in a heartbeat. She felt like she was a child that had just broken something very valuable. Draco glared at Harry for an awkwardly long time before he grabbed Audrey's hand and yanked her away. She stumbled behind him and didn't even dare to say goodbye to anybody. Draco was silent the entire walk back to the castle and every passing moment only made Audrey more fearful of what might happen.


	22. Chapter 22

YAY DOUBLE CHAPTER FRIDAY!

...

Draco brought Audrey into the classroom that he had nicely decorated and she stood quietly at the door.

"Sit down." He said sternly. She continued to stand there, very hesitant about the whole situation. The room was so beautiful and she was so impressed that he had done so much for her.

"Oh Draco…" She whispered. "Is this for me?"

"Who else would I do all this shit for?" He asked angrily, whipping around with his cheeks burning.

Audrey fell back against the door, her heart pounding. He looked angrier than she had ever seen him. Her entire body was shaking when his expression suddenly softened and he slowly approached her.

"It's okay." He whispered. "I'm not mad at you." He said, gently touching her arms.

"I was just trying to make new friends." Audrey whispered with her head lowered. Draco nudged her chin up with a curled finger, a forced smile on his face. Of course he was pissed at her; she was flying around with his sworn enemy…on the other hand, how could she know about his intense hate for Harry Potter? Like she said, she was just trying to make new friends…

"I was just so eager to get you up here and be alone with you." Audrey pushed past him with a large frown on her face, her stomach still clenching out of frustration and anxiety.

"Stop lying!" She exclaimed. "I know that you don't like Harry and Ron, but you could at least be civil to them." The smile dropped from Draco's face as he narrowed his eyes.

"I choose not to be civil towards them."

"Your mother always tells you to make better friends. You should be friends with Harry and Ron."

"I hate those two!" He screamed. "If I had it my way, Potter and Weasley would be dead! Now sit down and eat!" Audrey gave in, taking off her coat and sitting in the ring of pillows. She was shakily breathing as Draco sat next to her, draping an arm around her shoulders.

"I'll stop hanging out with them if you want me to." She quietly offered. Draco sighed, shaking his head as Audrey leaned against him.

"I…I don't want to keep you from making friends…and I guess it's not your fault that you made friends with Potter and Weasley." Audrey stared up at him, close to tears.

"If you don't like it, then I'll stop." Draco cupped her cheek, gently stroking it with his thumb. He didn't know what to say to her to keep her from crying. In all honesty, and this was the absolute truth, Draco cared about her and didn't want to upset her. So, he leaned in and kissed her softly, feeling her tense against him. She pulled away from him and turned her face, but he pulled on her chin and kissed her again, hearing her whimper against his lips. He kept a tight hold on her as she tried to shrug out of his grip. She turned her face away, managing to break her mouth away from his. That still didn't seem to stop him as he began to pull at the hem of her shirt.

"Hold still." He muttered as he tried to kiss her again, but she continued to pull and try to get out of his grasp.

"Draco, what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to make love to you." He said, finally pinning down her hands above her head and hungrily kissing her. Audrey whimpered while she futilely tried to get away from him. She had wanted this kind of attention from Draco for as long as she could remember learning about physical intimacy, but this felt wrong. He was being so rough and aggressive, almost as if he were trying to prove something to some unseen force.

Draco kissed her as hard as he could before pulling back, leaning his forehead against hers.

"Fuck, you make me horny." He whispered. Audrey furrowed her brow together, looking up into his eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"What?"

"Horny." She said. Draco smirked, kissing her again before letting go of her and standing up. He offered her a hand up and pulled her against his chest, gently rubbing her back.

"It means that I'm aroused, I want to make love."

Wow that felt weird to say, 'making love.' He was so used to referring to it as fucking. He kissed her again, gently taking her hand.

"Come on, I want you to sleep with me tonight." Audrey shook her head, but still quietly followed after him.

"I can't, Professor McGonagall said that if she catches me sleeping with you again, I'll get in a lot of trouble." Draco smirked.

"Then we'll just have to work really hard on not being caught."

…

Draco snuck Audrey into the boy's dorm room again, this time making sure not to say a word until the curtains were closed. They were already dressed for bed, Audrey in the tank top and short shorts and Draco in boxers. They lay down next to each other, Draco's hand resting on Audrey's hip.

"Why do you always do that?" She asked quietly.

"Do what?" Audrey innocently licked her lips as Draco pulled the blankets up to cover them both.

"You always treat me so roughly." She whispered. "I'm not just somebody that you can…fuck." Draco's smirk widened as he held back a chuckle.

"Did you just swear?"

"I've sworn before!" She quickly defended.

"Hell doesn't count." Audrey let out a heavy sigh, rolling her eyes. "And neither does saying damn under your breath so that nobody can hear you." He moved closer to her, gently kissing her as their body's flushed together. "But you saying fuck is very hot…" She squirmed away from him, pulling the covers tighter around her.

"I don't want to do that." She whispered. Draco managed to get his way back to her, but found that he couldn't touch her skin to skin because of the death grip that she had on his blankets.

"You know, since we're going to get married, its okay for us to fool around." He finally managed to pull the blankets off of her and pulled her close, kissing her neck. Audrey was trembling beneath him. She had been lectured by Narcissa about this very situation at least a dozen times. She was only supposed to sleep with Draco after they were married. After their first night together, their sheets were going to be inspected for blood to prove that Audrey was a virgin. There was a lot on the line and she knew that those sheets would either make or break her marriage. She could understand that Draco had certain needs, but didn't he know that this wasn't supposed to happen yet?

Audrey finally slipped from his arms, jumping out of his bed and stepping outside of the curtains.

"I'm going back to my room." She said calmly, keeping her voice low.

"Why?" Draco asked, completely bewildered.

"Because I don't want to do this…not yet." He tried to grab her hand, but Audrey was too quick and edged away from him.

Draco inwardly groaned as he watched her ass in those little shorts. She was just getting so fucking hot…and Draco was curious as to when that had happened. Audrey had gone from plain to cute to sexy. It was possible that Draco was hornier than she had ever been in his life and was ready to pound anything with two legs and tits. But even then, he only wanted to pound Audrey. Okay, that sounded terrible, but it was Draco's way of saying that he actually wanted to commit. Something had happened between leaving the Manor and coming here. It must have had something to do with those friends that she had made.

Thank God she had made other girly friends besides his mother.


	23. Chapter 23

And now things start to get really sad and dark...

...

Final exams had sent everybody in the castle into an absolute tizzy. Audrey was one of the few students that seemed to remain calm. Hermione's tutoring had really helped and she felt extremely confident that she had done well. She wasn't so sure that Draco felt the same way. In the past few days, he had become strangely nervous and Audrey found it difficult to get him to smile. It was starting to become frustrating and confusing, but she just assumed that he would lighten up when they got home.

But things didn't change.

When they left on the carriages and got on the train, Draco looked extremely uncomfortable and a little pissed off. The car ride home wasn't any better. He was silent and distant, his knee bouncing.

"Are you all right?" She asked. "You've been acting so strangely lately." He finally looked at her, and there was such an odd look on his face. He looked guilty, as if he were hiding something from her.

"Do you want to go on a vacation with me?" Audrey furrowed her brow together, almost laughing.

"What?"

"Let's go somewhere. Do you want to go to Spain? How about France? Let's go to France!" This time, Audrey did laugh.

"What's gotten into you?"

"We can go anywhere you want; I'll even go to America with you if you'd like." Audrey smirked, still giggling.

"We can go on vacation next month. Don't you want to go home and rest?" Draco firmly shook his head.

"I think that we should just-." Draco stopped as the car pulled into the main driveway of the Manor. Audrey perked up and stared out the window to count the number of cars that were parked along the drive up to the front door. The car stopped at the front door, where Lucius and Narcissa were waiting. Draco angrily stepped from the car, glaring at the pair as he helped Audrey from the car.

"What's going on?" She asked as she stepped from the car and straightened her pleated plaid skirt.

"We're having a party." Narcissa explained as the two walked up the main steps. Draco was holding Audrey's hand tightly and couldn't even look at his parents without wanting to punch somebody in the face.

"Don't fucking lie to her." He spit out. "It's a wedding." Audrey's face instantly lit up, her eyes sparkling.

"A wedding? Who's getting married?" She asked excitedly. They all looked away from her, each one awkwardly silent. The smile slowly slipped from her face, her knees starting to shake. "So...we're going to do this tonight?"

"Yes dear, but first there's somebody that you need to meet." Draco finally brought himself to look at his parents with shock written in bright red Sharpie across his face.

"You're not serious." He muttered. "You brought Him here?"

"Every father wants to see their child get married." Narcissa quickly rebutted with narrowed eyes. Draco bit the inside of his cheeks, but Audrey just stared with her cheeks a stark white.

"My father is alive?" She asked quietly. Narcissa smiled warmly at her, taking her by the shoulder and leading her inside.

"Yes dear. Now, listen to me: you must forgive him for being absent, but he was very busy and only gave you to us so that you would have a normal life." She explained as they walked into the Manor. Audrey could smell flowers and champagne and it was making her absolutely sick to her stomach. "But we've kept him up to date about everything that you've been doing and he's extremely pleased and very proud of you." Audrey slowly nodded as Draco walked behind them with his father at his side. Lucius saw his son walk completely tense with his cheeks a bright pink.

"Remember who you're going to see tonight." He whispered. "You knew that this was going to happen eventually." Lucius took Draco's shoulder, gripping it tightly as he excused them both to his study. He forced him down into a chair, a scowl slowly forming on his face.

"I want to wait." Draco said firmly. Lucius glared at his son, leaning against his large, ornate desk.

"You don't have a choice in this matter, none of us do." He explained, trying to remain calm, but that was a battle that he was losing. Draco shook his head, gripping the arms of his leather chair.

"You've got this whole thing planned out, don't you? I bet that you've even got a fucking white dress for her." Lucius sighed as his temples throbbed.

"I'm not in the mood to argue with you. There are three hundred people waiting in the other room for a wedding and one person in particular that will be watching every move that you make until the day that he dies!" Lucius slammed his fist on the desk. "Now for fuck's sake keep your mouth shut and do as you're told!" Draco jumped from his chair, tossing it to the ground and hearing it hit with a loud thud.

"I'm not doing this!" He exclaimed, storming from the room.

"Get the fuck back here!" Lucius screamed at him.

"Fuck you!" Draco screamed. "I'm taking Audrey and we're getting out of here!"

Just as Lucius was about to grab his son and give him the beating of his life, a piercing scream echoed around them. The screaming continued accompanied by running footsteps. Audrey slid around the corner, tears streaming down her face and her arms stretched out in front of her as she stumbled to get away from whatever she was running from. Draco caught her, but she refused to stay still. She was sobbing and still screaming as Draco cradled her in his arms, trying to get her to calm down.

"What's wrong?"

"He's a monster." She whispered. "My father is a monster." He gently stroked her hair as a large group of people came around the corner, joking and laughing at Audrey's reaction. The group was led by Narcissa and Him, dressed in flowing black robes.

"I don't think I've ever seen a daughter have such a horrific reaction to seeing her father." He said, following his statement with a loud chuckle. Audrey couldn't bring herself to look at him. She kept her face buried in his shoulder and gripped him for dear life. "Hello Draco, it's good to see you." He said, his slick head reflecting in the dim lights of the hallway. Draco swallowed what he wanted to scream at the creature of a man in front of him and slowly nodded. He had to stay calm so that Audrey wouldn't start screaming again.

"Thank you, sir." He said against Audrey's tense shoulder.

"It's good to see you two have become so close." He said with a cunning smile. "Sweetheart, look at daddy." Audrey started to cry again, her grip on Draco tightening. Lord Voldermort laughed again, obviously very amused by how horrified Audrey was.

"Forgive her, my Lord, she was simply startled." Lucius said, a charming smile on his face.

"Of course." He said calmly. "I would throw a fit too if I found out that my father was about to take over the magical world and then hand it over to my husband." He laughed again and everybody else laughed with him. Audrey whimpered as Narcissa stepped forward and tried to pull her off of Draco.

"I promise that I'll talk to you before anything happens." He whispered into her ear. "I'll do what I can." Audrey pulled her head up, her mascara running down her cheeks and her nose puffy and bright red.

"Promise?" She asked quietly. Draco nodded, gently kissing her cheek before Narcissa pulled her away.

Draco watched as the guests excused themselves back to the ceremony site and Audrey went upstairs with Narcissa. The poor girl looked so frail and broken down. His heart was breaking with every step that she took away from him. Then it occurred to him as his father took his shoulder and led him back to the study that he and Audrey would have to sleep with each other tonight. He would have to take away her virginity and then she would be inspected. He never thought about how violating that actually was, sitting behind a curtain and having three different women that she didn't know stick their fingers inside of her to make sure that she had been a virgin. Nobody was looking at him; all eyes would be on Audrey.

If he could help it, nobody would ever scrutinize her ever again.


	24. Chapter 24

Okay, here it is as promised! And I know that you all are excited to read these every Friday, but they will only be posted Friday, never any sooner. I'm trying to stretch this story out and really let you guys enjoy it! It's not like I'm taking a week to write each chapter. I wrote it all over the summer and now I'm just posting it a chapter per week. There's over 50 chapters, so there's lots of story fun to be had! Thank you all again for reading and reviewing; it makes me very happy! Enjoy!

...

When Draco was sure that his parents were gone and that nobody was watching them, he snuck over to Audrey's room. He was ready to run if his mother was there, but when he opened the door he was surprised to find that Audrey was sitting quietly by herself. She looked stunning in a gorgeous gown of lace and tulle with a taffeta emerald green bow sitting atop the tulle skirt. The skirt overpowered her, but he knew that his mother would never accept a small wedding gown, especially for Audrey. Her hair had been pulled back into a large, yet simple bun. There was white netting in front of her face, but it couldn't hide the tears that were still streaming down her face.

"You look beautiful." He said, closing the door and locking it after him. She jumped when he spoke, and quickly wiped her face before standing up from her vanity.

"I feel like those doll cakes that you see at a child's birthday party." She whispered, her voice rough from crying. Draco shrugged his shoulders, happy that she had made a slight joke.

"I think that you look a little better than those fake Barbie's." He reached out to hug her, but she stepped away with a heavy frown on her face. Draco sighed. "I know that you're upset about your father being…Lord Voldermort, but…I guess things could be worse." She shook her head as she slowly walked around her bed to her large bay window.

"You're right, there are worse things." She said, pushing back the curtain. "But I think what bothers me the most is that you knew everything and you didn't say one word to me. You knew who my father was, how my mother died…and I guess it just never occurred to you that I might like to know some of these details." Draco felt his throat clench up and his mouth go dry as Audrey stared at him. Audrey had never looked at him wish such disgust.

"I'm sorry." He said, not knowing what else to say. There was nothing else that he could say, which was only made worse by the fact that he was in a tuxedo and she was in a gigantic white dress that probably cost more than both of them put together. Audrey slowly walked towards him, carrying her long train as she walked.

"You can't expect me to forgive you just because you apologized." She whispered sadly. Draco shook his head.

"I don't, I'm sorry."

"Then stop saying it!" She screamed, her lower lip quivering. "The next time that you do something stupid that hurts my feelings, I'll just assume that you're sorry so that we can save ourselves from having the difficult conversation where you try to explain yourself."

Draco wanted to say something; anything to keep her from crying. But there was nothing that he could say that would comfort her in the slightest. She was right, he could have told her everything, but he followed the leader and kept his mouth shut. He offered her his hand with his eyes down. He didn't expect anything from her, so he was surprised when she rushed forward and tightly wrapped her arms around his waist. Draco held her, but was clearly caught off balance.

"I love you, don't you love me?" She asked quietly.

"Yes." Draco said without hesitation. "I love you." Draco was surprised that the words had fallen so easily from his lips, but it was true.

He loved Audrey.

He loved her constantly bright attitude. He loved that she could make plaid look sexy. He loved that no matter what he did or how much he screwed up she was always the first to look at all the good qualities that he had. They were few, but Audrey cherished those qualities.

Draco pulled back and got Audrey to look at him. She was crying, but at least she was smiling.

"I think that you are magnificent." He whispered before he gently kissed her. She whimpered when he wrapped his arms around her and clutched her to an almost uncomfortable level.

"Hey, knock it off!"

They didn't part instantly, simply because they were so comforted by the warmth that was radiating from each other's bodies. Finally, Audrey stepped back, her eyes glued on the ground. Draco looked at the person that interrupted them, who was of course his mother, and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"What do you want?"

"It's bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding." She explained, slowly taking Draco by the arm and guiding him out the door. He kept walking but angrily pulled away his arm.

"That's such a fucking joke." He muttered, storming from the room. Narcissa huffed as she watched her son walk away.

"Go downstairs, we're ready to start!" She called before going back into the room to find Audrey quietly sitting at her vanity. She approached the girl with a bright smile, gently gripping her shoulders as they looked in the mirror.

"You look beautiful." She said happily. "Your father will be so excited to see you." Audrey paled at the mention of that man. She saw absolutely no resemblance between the two of them. Perhaps she looked more like her mother. Please let her look like her mother…

Narcissa suddenly reached into Audrey's side drawer and pulled out the necklace that Draco had given her over holiday break. As she fastened it around her neck, Audrey thought about how simple things were only a few months ago. It was her only hope that she would one day marry Draco and be his wife. She didn't know that that day would come so soon. She almost wanted to go back and be in that ignorant place. She didn't want to know anything about her past or where she came from. Narcissa adjusted the necklace so that it rested on her collarbone and would sparkle in any light.

"There you go, that's lovely." Audrey stared at herself in the mirror, remaining silent. "Are you ready?" She asked, that same delighted smile on her face. Audrey nodded, quickly standing up and heading for the door. When Narcissa tried to escort her out the door, Audrey pulled away from her with a straight look on her face.

"I don't need your help anymore."


	25. Chapter 25

Draco felt as if he were about to vomit. The amount of people stuffed into this room was totally intimidating, especially with the presence of his future father-in-law. It was threatening enough when he thought about this moment months ago and it was even worse now that it was actually happening. He just sat there in the front row next to Lucius as if he were a normal person; just another face in the crowd…except this face struck terror into the hearts of the bravest of men. And in the next twenty minutes, Draco would be related to him…

Oh shit…

Suddenly, people were all on their feet and there was music playing in the background. Draco's heart was pounding as Audrey began to walk down the aisle. She was clutching a bouquet of white roses and walking alone. Draco was surprised that she was even moving with nobody holding her arm. She could easily turn and run away. But no, she walked with her eyes focused on Draco. She looked like she was about to pass out. If she weren't so far away, Draco would run forward and catch her.

Audrey suddenly stopped halfway down the aisle, her hands shaking. No…no, she didn't want this…she couldn't stand at that alter and pretend that everything was okay. She loved Draco, but this was just so overwhelming. Somebody suddenly stepped from the crowd of guests and took Audrey's arm. She was shaking as she glanced over to see who it was. Audrey was surprised to find a very calm and charming Emerson.

"Emerson…what are you doing?" She whispered. He kept his eyes forward, but smiled as he forced her to walk forward.

"I'm helping." He said proudly. "And every girl should have a man give her away on her wedding day." She furrowed her brow together.

"I don't understand." She whispered.

"I am doing what is best for the group." He said quietly, pulling her a little closer. "And I think in the long run, you would be a better match for Draco." Audrey was shocked. Emerson was simply backing down from the apparent fight between him and Draco.

"I'm surprised." She said. "This doesn't seem like something that you would do." Emerson shrugged his shoulders as they arrived at the altar.

"People change." He replied simply. Emerson stretched out his hand to shake Draco's hand, who hesitantly shook it with a furrowed brow. Audrey was handed over and she clung to Draco, her lower lip beginning to tremble. Draco knew that these weren't the tears of a normal bride. Hell, there was nothing normal about this situation.

"We are gathered here today to join Draco Malfoy and Audrey Rose Riddle in marriage. If there is any reason why these two should not be wed, let somebody speak now or forever hold their peace."

Draco wanted to scream.

Don't do this…don't do this to him and Audrey.

"Silent, as it should be." The man, whom Draco seriously questioned whether or not he was actually able to legally marry them, smiled at them brilliantly. "Do you, Draco, take Audrey Rose to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honor, and be faithful to her until death do you part?" Draco inwardly shuddered, feeling as if he were about to seriously throw up, but he swallowed his sick and managed to speak.

"I do."

"And do you, Audrey Rose, take Draco to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love, honor and obey until death do you part?"

Audrey stared down at her roses, watching the white petals shimmer in the dim candlelight. She was in the middle of a very painful panic attack; her heart was pounding and she felt like she was going to throw up at any moment. She let her flowers to the ground to reveal a pair of shaking hands. She looked up at Draco only to find that he was staring down at her. There was so much sympathy in his eyes, almost as if he were quietly apologizing again. Audrey felt hot tears streak down her face as she let out a shaky sigh.

"I can't." She said, shaking her head. She looked away from Draco, her eyes glistening with tears. "I'm sorry, but I can't." Her shoulders hunched over as she began to sob into her hands. Draco pulled her into his arms, letting her cry into his shoulder. People began to murmur as the couple clung to each other and the wedding was forced to stop. They all looked at Lord Voldermort, who sat with his lips tightly pursed together.

"I believe that she said yes." He stated firmly, the entire room going silent as soon as he spoke. The priest looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh…but, my Lord…"

"She said yes." Audrey pulled her face from Draco's shoulder, finally looking at her father.

"I said no." Audrey said firmly. Draco almost wanted to press her face back into his shoulder to keep her from saying anything else. But luckily, Lord Voldermort simply smiled at her.

"Because you are a minor, you have no say in your actions. I am your father and I know that I heard you say yes. Now, may we please continue with the ceremony?" The man nodded, finding his place on the pieces of paper that he was tightly holding.

"Yes, here we are. Draco, take this ring and place it on Audrey's left hand. This ring is a symbol and a constant reminder of your love and fidelity." Draco took a gigantic diamond ring from the man and awkwardly put it on Audrey's finger, finding it odd seeing as she was still leaning on him so heavily. "Audrey, take this ring and put it on Draco's finger."

Audrey didn't move. She simply leaned against Draco with her eyes focused on the floor. Just as the pause became uncomfortable, Draco grabbed the ring and put it on himself.

"All right, um…by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!"

The guests began to applaud, but Audrey and Draco didn't kiss. Draco grabbed Audrey's hand and they went running down the aisle. Nobody stopped them as they disappeared, but Lucius and Narcissa did follow after them.

"That could have gone better." Narcissa muttered as they headed through the main hallway of the house were all of the different wings were connected. Draco suddenly spun around, making his parents stumble to a stop.

"Since I'm married, I'm pretty sure that I don't need you two following after me and telling me what to do." Narcissa laughed slightly.

"But Audrey…"

"You can help her out of that ridiculous dress and then you leave her the fuck alone!" He screamed at them. Narcissa looked at Lucius to speak for them, but he just stared at Draco with a straight face.

"Narcissa, help Audrey take her dress off." He said calmly. Narcissa's jaw dropped.

"Lucius!"

"Just do it!" He exclaimed, his cheeks bright pink. She cowered away from him, shutting her mouth and looking away from him.

"Audrey…come, I'll help you into your nightgown." Draco reluctantly let Audrey go with his mother, watching them closely as they walked up the stairs. His father and he stood quietly, both not knowing what to say as they heard the guests slowly walk into the dining room for a very late dinner in celebration of Audrey and Draco's marriage.

"It had to be tonight." Lucius suddenly said. "We had to do this before Potter made his move."

"What do we know about his plans?" He asked, his eyes still locked on the stairs.

"Not much, but we know that they're planning something…and we needed to legitimize your union with Audrey." He glared at his son, who obviously wasn't paying attention. "The sooner you get her pregnant, the better." Draco finally pulled his eyes away from the stairs only to glare at his father.

"You don't seriously expect me to sleep with her tonight." He muttered.

"You have to, they need to prove that she was a virgin…unless you did something stupid at school. Then we have to put Audrey through a very painful spell."

"We didn't do anything." Draco insisted.

"Severus says that you two were caught in bed right before you almost killed that boy." He grumbled, briefly remembering the trouble that he had been put through over that stupid mistake.

"Yes, we were…we were just making out, we didn't fuck." Lucius gripped his shoulder, forcing his son to look him in the eyes.

"Don't just tell me, go up there and prove it to me."


	26. Chapter 26

So, since it's a beautiful Friday and I'm going to have a big day today, I've decided that it's time for...DOUBLE CHAPTER FRIDAY!

...

Draco was pacing up and down the Sun Wing hallway, his mind a complete mess. Audrey was just on the other side of those double doors, waiting for him. He was avoiding going into that room. He was hoping that he could just wait long enough for her to fall asleep so that he could just sneak in and make some fake blood appear on the sheets so that he could leave her alone for a while. But still…if she didn't get pregnant eventually, they would get suspicious and probably examine her or test their sheets. He would have to sleep with her eventually, but he wanted to spare her tonight. She had been through enough drama; anybody would be traumatized after discovering that your father was a total monster who was willing to do whatever it took to gain power. Draco knew that she needed to sleep.

Draco turned and looked at the door, letting out a heavy sigh before slowly walking towards the doors. Audrey had never been good at staying up late. If you gave her a cup of warm tea and a good book, she would be out by nine and sleep for ten hours. Today had been a long day that had most likely exhausted her. She had to be asleep by now; it was almost three in the morning. Of course, that didn't stop everybody else downstairs from partying like they were fucking teenagers.

Fuck them, they were disgusting.

Voldermort had left at midnight, after giving Audrey the most awkward hug Draco had ever seen. At that point, Audrey didn't have much of a choice, so she was forced into her father's spindly arms. She had cried the whole time and had run right back to Draco when she was released. Draco had been severely pissed off about the whole thing, but everybody else found her reaction to be extremely funny. Yes, they were all drunk, but they would have laughed even if they were sober. That was probably the part that pissed Draco off the most. They all thought that this was just one big joke, while Draco and Audrey were caught in the middle.

This was just a game to them…and Audrey and Draco were two pieces on their board, there for them to move around at their disposal.

Draco pushed open the doors and felt his gut clench when he saw Audrey sitting on her bed with the light still on. Her hair was in loose waves hanging down her back and she was wearing a loose white tee shirt that hung off of one shoulder. Her face had been scrubbed of any makeup and had thankfully taken off her huge wedding ring. She was curled up against one of her pillows, looking up when Draco came into the room. She looked so innocent…and she just looked so damn appetizing…

"Oh…I didn't think that you'd still be awake." He said, awkwardly shutting the door behind him. She smiled at him and Draco stood in the doorway, staring at her with the oddest look in his eyes.

Well what the fuck was he supposed to do now?

Audrey perked up, trying to hide the fact that she was in fact very tired, but Draco could see how red her eyes were and how limp her body was.

"I heard you pacing in the hallway…are you all right?" Draco nodded as he continued to stand in front of the doors.

"Yes, um…I uh, I'm having a bit of trouble getting used to the idea that we have to…we have to…"

"Fuck?" Audrey finished for him. "I know that you think that it's stupid to call it making love." Draco smirked.

"Right…you know, if you're too tired, we don't have to…" Audrey quickly shook her head.

"No, we have to." Draco slowly took off his stiff jacket, making his way over the bed and sitting across from Audrey.

"You've had a long day, we don't have to…we can fake it. That would at least give us another month." He told her gently. Audrey shook her head again, avoiding eye contact. She was obviously nervous, but oddly insistent on the two of them having sex.

"I just wanna get this over with." She said. "Didn't you want to sleep with me a few days ago?" Draco bit his lower lip, staring down at his feet.

"Yeah…but it's different now." He said, avoiding making any eye contact with her. Audrey furrowed her brow together.

"How?"

"Because you didn't know shit and you were innocent!" He exclaimed. Audrey launched herself across the bed, pulling on Draco's shoulder to make him face her.

"Just because I know shit now doesn't mean that my body is any less innocent." She stepped down and stood in front of him, running a hand down his cheek. "My body is innocent…you know that." Draco nervously swallowed the lump in his throat, his eyes slowly raking down her body. She bent down and pressed her lips to his and Draco realized that this was the first time that she had ever kissed him. Her lips were shaking as she continued to kiss him and gently push him onto the bed. She kept teetering from side to side as if trying to balance herself; it was so obvious that this was incredibly awkward and difficult for her. She was straddling his hips and pulling at his shirt before Draco grabbed her hands and stopped her.

"Slow down." He whispered. "We have all night. There's no need to rush." Audrey slowly nodded as she allowed Draco to push her onto the bed and crawl on top of her. He kissed her, resting his forehead against hers as they both shared a sweet smile with each other. This was a forced moment, but that didn't mean that Draco couldn't make it as sweet a moment as he possibly could. They didn't choose these circumstances, but they would have to make due. Draco kissed her again, nuzzling her neck as he let her unbutton his shirt.

"Okay."


	27. Chapter 27

Soooo...this is my first time writing a scene with sensual things going on...please enjoy!

...

Draco struggled to make himself get out of bed. His head was throbbing as the sun beat its way into Audrey's cream bedroom. He hid his head under the covers, stretching his arms out only to find that he was alone in bed. He grumbled out some profanity before picking up his head and looking around. He couldn't see Audrey anywhere. The only thing that he did see that was even worth mentioning was the open door leading to the back gardens. He managed to stand up and pull on his boxers, slowly walking outside while shading his eyes. Audrey was curled up on top of one of the thick stone railings, her flat palms supporting a leather bound book. Her hair was pulled back and she was wearing the same shirt that she had worn last night. Audrey was glowing…from sex. Draco had to admit, it was a very good look for her. She looked up from her book when Draco walked outside, a smile instantly on her face.

"Good morning." She said happily. Draco noted that Audrey had always been a cheerful morning person as he awkwardly sat next to her, the sun already beating down on them. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept fine, how about you?" Audrey nodded as she marked her place and set aside her book.

"I'm good." She began to blush. "I…I'm a little sore." She admitted. Draco couldn't help but smirk.

"It was your first time." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "I tried to be gentle." Audrey nodded, gently leaning her head onto his shoulder.

"It was good…at least I think that it was good, I don't really have anything to compare it to." Draco laughed, wrapping an arm around her.

"Hate to say it, but you're stuck with me." Audrey shook her head with a girly smile.

"I'm not stuck." She said sweetly, picking up her book and slipping down from the railing. "Should I ring for breakfast?"

"They'll probably force us to come down and eat with them." He said as they both walked back into the bedroom. While Draco went to put on jeans and a tee shirt, Audrey casually walked to the bed, setting her book down on the nightstand with her eyes focused on the three large red dots that had stained her sheets. Draco pulled a shirt over his head, catching sight of what Audrey was staring at. He grimaced slightly, remembering the way that she had cried and whimpered when he had first pushed inside of her.

"I suppose they'll take those away and hang them on the wall or something." She commented. Draco stood next to her, staring at the three red spots.

"I wouldn't put it past them." He admitted. "Hey, put some pants on, we can sneak some cereal up here before they know that we're awake."

Audrey rushed to her drawers, pulling out a pair of yoga pants and another loose tee shirt. She changed without even considering Draco's presence. Of course he stared, catching a full on glimpse of her completely naked, caught beautifully in the sun.

She had quite the body for a fifteen year old…and now Draco got to tap that on a regular basis…and that was kind of awesome.

After Audrey had dressed and quickly brushed her hair into a long wavy mass, she and Draco left her room and headed towards the kitchen. Halfway there, Draco reached out and grabbed Audrey's hand. She instantly smiled like she was four years old and had just been given a cookie.

Okay, Audrey was going to make her first dirty joke, ready?

Draco was one sweet cookie.

Audrey let a small smile slip, but in the pit of her stomach, she felt a sad tingling. While she was happy that Draco had finally put a ring on her finger, the thought of her father still made her stomach churn. She wanted to ask Draco why he was like that; why had nobody told her who her father was? Would things have been different if she knew that her father was Lord Voldermort? Would she have been more confident and possibly more willing to go through with the marriage last night? Well…now Audrey would never know. The important thing was that she and Draco were married…and Draco seemed to care about her. Audrey could really get used to sleeping next to him and holding his hand when nobody was looking.

They got to the kitchen, both relieved to find that nobody was there. Audrey grabbed bowls and spoons while Draco grabbed the milk bottle and a box of chocolaty, sugary cereal with a dancing bear on the front. They quietly served themselves at the counter and ate without a word, Audrey sitting on the counter while Draco leaned against it next to her. It wasn't an awkward moment; they simply relaxed in each other's company. They had shared an extremely intimate moment several times over, so there was no need for words.

Draco suddenly looked over at Audrey, watching her accidentally drop a spoonful of cereal down the front of her shirt. She quickly set down her bowl, but Draco stopped her before she fished out the lost cereal. She watched him closely as he stepped in front of her, holding her wrists.

"We should take that shirt off before you stain it." He said with a straight face as she stared at her. She quickly nodded, holding up her arms as he quickly pulled off her shirt. He raised an eyebrow, shaking his head. "And it looks like you got some milk on your bra." He reached around and unhooked the bra before Audrey had the chance to react. She let the straps slip from her shoulders as a pink flush spread across her cheeks. Draco tossed it down, slowly leaning forward and gently kissing her. She parted her knees to allow him to press his body against hers as he deepened the kiss.

"I think that some milk got on my pants too." She suddenly said against his lips. Draco looked down, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Well…looks like I have to take those off too…and I should probably take off your knickers too." Audrey vigorously nodded as Draco pulled at her pants and forced them down her legs and onto the floor. Her knickers were gone in a flash and he stood up, eyeing her from her toes to the top of her head.

"I'm naked…in a kitchen." She whispered as she fought to not cover her breasts or cross her legs.

"I can see that." Draco whispered as he slid her forward so that she was sitting on the edge of the counter. "Only bad girls are naked in kitchens."

Audrey gasped when Draco suddenly pressed against her and pushed his way inside of her. She squirmed against him, but Draco kept a tight hold on her as he began to bite and pull at the skin of her neck. She still hadn't gotten used to the feeling of him being inside her. He licked up to her ear as he began to move his hips, making Audrey shiver.

"Tell me that you're a bad girl." He whispered. Audrey bit her lower lip, shutting her eyes tightly. When he didn't get a response from her, he thrust into her as deep as he could go and wiggled his hips, causing Audrey to let out a loud moan. "Say it." He muttered, grinding his hips against her.

"I'm a bad girl!" She quickly screamed out. It only took a few jerks of his hips before Draco was spent, letting out a groan and resting his forehead against Audrey's shoulder. He panted against her skin as Audrey slowly wrapped her arms around his shoulders, gently petting his hair as his heart rate slowly calmed in his chest. Once he had finally composed himself, Draco gently kissed from her shoulder, up her neck, and then softly against her cheek.

"Are you all right?" He asked against her cheek. Audrey nodded, still stroking his hair.

"You sort of caught me off guard." She admitted, softly smiling. Draco slowly pulled out, grimacing at the mess that they had made on the counter. He helped her down and watched her pull on her knickers before grabbing a towel and cleaning up.

"That was fast."

The two jumped as Narcissa and Lucius walked into the kitchen, both uninterested in what had just happened. Audrey had only managed to pull her underwear on over her hips, leaving the upper part of her body completely exposed to her in-laws. Draco quickly pulled her into his arms, making sure that she was covered.

"What the fuck do you two want?" Draco asked angrily as Audrey hid her face in his shoulder. She was clearly embarrassed beyond belief, but Lucius and Narcissa didn't seem to mind.

"We're just here to get some coffee." Lucius said innocently.

"And we wanted to see if the newlyweds were awake." Narcissa said with a bright smile on her face.

"Clearly they are." Lucius muttered as he got a mug for himself and his wife.

"Can you please give us a minute so that we can get dressed?" He asked, feeling Audrey begin to shake in his arms. His parents just stood there, sipping their coffee and staring at them.

"Perhaps you shouldn't be doing that in the kitchen where anybody could walk in on you." Lucius said quietly. Draco began to grind his teeth.

"Get the fuck out of here and leave us alone!" He screamed, his face turning bright red. "I swear to God, I will hex you both into another country in a mud hole with carnivorous pigs ready to eat you and tear you apart!" His parents stared at him before Lucius took his wife's arm and led her away. Draco continued to hold Audrey until their footsteps finally faded away. He let her go and Audrey instantly dove for her clothes, getting dressed as fast as she could. She was still blushing heavily as Draco readjusted himself and zipped his pants shut.

"Do you think that they did that on purpose?" Audrey asked as she smoothed back her hair before looking over her shoulder to glance at Draco. He let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head.

"I have no idea…I'm sorry, maybe we can do something to keep them out of the Sun Wing." Audrey nodded, going to clean up their bowls, but Draco grabbed her hand and they quietly left the kitchen.

"We should probably not have sex in public places anymore." Audrey muttered, keeping her head down as they walked down the hallway. Draco laughed, pulling her close with a wide smile.

"That would probably be for the best."


	28. Chapter 28

I am happy to announce that I have officially finished this story. It is completely written and typed and now I will update every week on Friday. There are well over twenty more chapters to upload, so there will be lots more fun! I hope that you're all enjoying the story!

...

Draco was proud to show off his magical abilities, and sealed off the Sun Wing to all other visitors that tried to get into their space. Draco and Audrey could leave whenever they pleased and get back in just as easily, but for anybody else it would have been like walking into a glass door. So, the newly married couple went about their lives as normally as they could. Audrey spent much of her time playing her baby grand piano and reading the books that had been stocked in a small library just down the hall. Draco also read, but tried to make himself study as much as he could. He was trying to spend his time learning new spells that could possibly help him and Audrey…well, at least Audrey.

Their sexual love life had come to a screeching halt. Audrey didn't seem to notice or mind; she was much more content to spend her nights sleeping against Draco's naked chest. Draco was containing his sexual appetite for a much more serious reason. About a month into their summer, in the middle of July, Draco noticed that Audrey started displaying odd behaviors. Despite the fact that it was the middle of summer, she constantly complained that she was freezing and always tottered around in Draco's bulkiest sweaters and his thickest wool socks. Then she started to eat strange things, the strangest being large plates of sushi with a mixture of mayonnaise and peanut butter smeared on top. And the first morning that Draco found Audrey sick in the bathroom, he felt like he himself was going to vomit. It was his absolute worst fear realized far too early for him to properly deal with it.

Audrey was pregnant.

Of course, he couldn't be absolutely positive, but…there were just so many signs pointing him in that direction! She was crying all the time and would then become extremely angry over the simplest of things. So Draco was doing what he could to get her out of here. He was working so quickly because one night while he was lying awake with Audrey sleeping soundly against his chest, he realized that soon this situation would involve another innocent person: his unborn child. Despite how heartless he may have appeared to everybody else, he genuinely did care about Audrey and their child. He would do anything to keep them safe…even if it meant giving up everything that he and his parents had worked for and getting himself killed. At least Audrey would get out safely…and then he could worry about himself.

Whenever he could, Draco began to steal small amounts of money from his parents' jackets. He began a collection of jars of money that he hid under their bed or in rarely used closets. When he could, he would take an item of her clothing and pack it away in a small suitcase. He knew that if this was going to happen, it would have to happen the instant that they had the opportunity. There was no guarantee that Draco would be able to run with her, but he would make sure that she would get away.

Draco's opportunity came one night when his parents hosted a large dinner party. Many important Death Eaters were here, all toasting Audrey and Draco's recent marriage. The couple sat in silence, their faces blank. Audrey had begun to share Draco's great disdain for everybody who had put them in this situation. Though she was happy that they were married, now that she knew the details of her engagement and family history, she wasn't happy. Draco glanced over at Audrey, finding that her eyes were downcast on her plate. She looked as if she were about to cry. There was no time to think this through; Draco didn't have anything to do but act.

Draco took her hand under the table and abruptly stood up, his chair clattering back onto the floor.

"Excuse us; Audrey wants me to escort her to the bathroom." He announced loudly. Everybody grew silent, the only sound coming through being a small giggle from Narcissa.

"She knows where the bathroom is, she can go by herself. Sit down sweetheart; you haven't touched your food." Draco pursed his lips together as the people around him laughed.

"She asked me to take her." He said, his tone thick and unmoving. It was clear that he was firm on his point, so Narcissa decided to indulge him.

"All right, all right, there's no need to throw a fit. Take the poor girl to the bathroom." Draco pulled Audrey to her feet and they strode away, Audrey confused about what his motivation was. The pair walked quietly, passing at least several bathrooms before going down a small staircase to the large Malfoy family garage. Audrey was surprised to find one of her suitcases sitting next to a large SUV with a pair of sweat pants and a baggy shirt sitting on top. Draco shut and locked the door, grabbing a set of keys and handing them to Audrey.

"Do you remember when we took a drive around the yard and I let you drive?" Audrey gripped the keys as she watched Draco open the driver's side door and the door behind it and load her suitcase.

"Draco…what are you doing?" She asked as she peered into the car and saw three envelopes stacked in the passenger seat.

"There's cash along with a passport in the envelopes, it should be enough to get you out of the country." Draco rushed to one of the drawers in a large set of cabinets and yanked it open, pulling out a slim box and handing it to Audrey. "Here's your wand, don't use it unless you absolutely have to." Audrey dropped her wand as soon as the box touched the pads of her fingertips. The keys also clattered to the ground as Audrey just stood there.

"What is going on?" She asked quietly. Draco leaned against the driver's side door, suddenly realizing that he was panting and gasping for air.

"You have to get out of here; we don't have a lot of time." He said, picking up her things and putting them on her seat. He handed her the seats and unzipped the green cocktail dress that she wore. Audrey didn't stop him, but she didn't make any effort to get dressed. "Come on Audrey, help me out here." He muttered as he slipped down her tights and made her kick off her shoes.

"I don't understand." She said innocently. When Draco had dressed her, he pushed the keys into her hand.

"You have to hurry up and go, I'll be able to stall them for a while, but you have to go now." He insisted. Audrey grabbed his hand and forced him to look at her. Tears were just beginning to drip down her face. Draco quickly wiped them away with the edge of his sleeve before gently kissing her forehead while gently holding her. He soothingly stroked her hair, listening to her quietly cry into his shoulder.

"Is this because I'm pregnant?" Draco froze as he felt her pick up her head and look at him. "Don't look too surprised, I'm a girl, I'm not stupid. I knew that I was pregnant the morning after we…you know…I thought that this was what you wanted." Draco kissed her forehead again.

"Yes, I'm sending you away because you're pregnant." He said quietly. "I want to keep you safe from those people…so you have to take the car and get out of the country. I'll join you as soon as I can, but you have to leave now." Audrey sighed, pushing back her hair.

"What will happen if I stay?"

"They'll exploit you and the baby." He muttered, already envisioning everything that they would do to Audrey and the baby. "If you leave, then I can at least try to protect you." He gripped her hand tightly, letting out a heavy sigh. "Do you trust me?" Audrey hesitantly nodded, the tears quickly returning to her eyes as she quietly began to cry. "Then take the car and get out of here." Audrey nervously bit her lower lip, letting out a soft sob as Draco hugged and kissed her. "I'll come back for you, I promise. I will not abandon you…I will protect you."

Draco kissed her forehead again, quietly tempted to kiss her on the lips. Perhaps he should push himself and show that little bit of affection that Audrey probably yearned for. Of course, he didn't want to force his affections on her and make it seem that he was forcing himself to love her. So Draco merely held her and kissed the top of her head as they stood there, both unsure if Draco's thrown together plan would work.

"Promise that you'll come and find me?" She muttered against his chest. Draco instantly nodded, smoothing back her hair so that he could look at her face. She was doing what she could to push back the tears and hide them, but her red cheeks and puffy eyes said everything.

"I'll do whatever it takes to find you…all you have to worry about is getting out of the country and into hiding." Audrey let out a heavy sigh, adjusting the keys in her hand to find the key that went into the ignition. She remembered Draco driving her around the front yard in the compound and remembered when he let her take the wheel. She also remembered how terrified she had been about crashing into a fence. How could Draco honestly expect her to drive out of the country and not be stopped by some police officer? But she trusted him, so she got into the car and put in the keys, giving Draco one final glance. He smiled at her and quickly left the garage to turn off the light and go back to the party. She managed to roll out of the garage and was glad to find that the main gates were open. Audrey felt her stomach churn as she passed through the gate and into the darkness of the outside world.

Draco quietly returned to the party, sitting down in his seat with a somber look on his face. Inside, he was thrilled that he had managed to get Audrey out of the house without any of them noticing. But, of course, Draco returning to the table alone couldn't have gone on too long without being noticed. Narcissa raised an eyebrow with a curious, drunken smirk on her face when she noted Audrey's absence.

"Where's your wife, Draco?" She asked, spilling a large gulp of wine down her arm.

"She wasn't feeling well and decided to turn in early."

"Maybe the girl's finally pregnant!" Lucius exclaimed with a huge, giddy smile on his face. His father was clearly drunk, and so were the people around him that began to cheer and toast to Draco's supposed unborn child.

Oh if only they knew…

"Believe me father, if and when that happens, you'll be the first to know."


	29. Chapter 29

It's Friday! Aren't you all super happy? Enjoy!

...

Audrey was too scared to stop.

At first, she just drove around the rural area that surrounded the Malfoy house, but as the sun rose, she found signs that led her away from her home and then towards small villages. She passed by shops and careless muggles, slouching down to avoid being noticed. Every moment she was on the road, she feared being pulled over and then being returned to Lucius and Narcissa. And then her father would have to get involved…and then Draco would really get into even more trouble. She didn't want to let down Draco, so she kept her eyes locked on the road and kept driving. She ate what she could get at a drive through and drank copious amounts of coffee to keep herself buzzing.

Now if only she were well versed in cars…like the whole gas situation…

Just as dusk was settling around her, Audrey felt the car shudder underneath her. Her heart stopped when the car started to slow, no matter how hard or how frantically she pressed on the gas pedal. She sat in the middle of the road, her mind completely blank on what to do next. She sat there until the light had completely left the sky and only stars dotted the midnight blue blanket above Audrey's head. She didn't know what to do or what to say, but when her stomach started to growl, she knew that she had to do something.

She took the keys and tucked them into one of the envelopes before tucking them into her suitcase. Audrey locked the car with a little sigh and slowly began to walk, her eyes focused on the road. All she could do now was walk to the next town, get a room for the night, and then go back and get the car the next morning…providing that nobody took the car while she was gone. She shuffled down the road, happy for the light late summer breeze that picked up her hair. Audrey wondered briefly whether or not anybody had noticed whether or not she was gone…or whether Draco was managing all right without her. She knew that he would never willingly admit it, but he liked her and liked having her sleep beside him. They were a comfort for each other. Draco's heartbeat against Audrey's flushed face was the best remedy for a sleepless night.

The hairs on the back of Audrey's neck suddenly stood up when she heard a car slowly start to approach her from behind. She kept her head down as a small, powder blue car drove past her. She sighed when the red lights shone against her legs, but bit her lower lip when the red lights brightened and the car jolted to a stop. Audrey was hesitant to keep walking, her heart beating as music and loud talking came from the car. Suddenly, the music stopped and the car shut off. There was a moment of silence before the passenger door opened and a tall man stepped out. Because of the bright lights, Audrey couldn't see his face, but she was absolutely terrified thanks to his tall stature.

"Audrey?" She shrunk back and arranged herself so that she was behind her large suitcase. "Audrey Lidder, right? From Hogwarts? I think that you were in Hufflepuff…" Audrey tried to shade her eyes to see, but that didn't help as the tall man slowly approached her.

"Please don't come any closer!" Audrey hadn't realized how scared she had been until she spoke and she discovered that her voice was shaking. The man instantly stopped and stood in front of the light so Audrey could see what he was wearing: worn jeans and a sweater that was striped with the strangest colors.

"Audrey, it's Ron Weasley, do you remember me?"

Audrey let her hand drop and was finally able to make out his bold features and soft red hair. She smiled at him, somehow relieved that he was here.

"Yes, I remember."

"What the devil are you doing all the way out here?" He asked, his body relaxing and his hands instinctively going to his hips.

"I…um…I'm so glad that I ran into you, do you by any chance have a phone that I could use?" He slowly nodded.

"Yeah, you can come back to the house. Hope you won't mind squeezing in with my brothers, it's a small car." Audrey shook her head.

"No, I don't mind at all."

…

The ride to the Burrow was at least a twenty minute ordeal, fifteen of those minutes spent on a bumpy dirt road that was giving Audrey the worse sickness of her life. She desperately wanted to stick her head out the window and relieve herself, but she swallowed and kept her mouth shut as she sat between Ron's twin brothers, Fred and George. His older brother Bill was driving while Ron occupied the small passenger seat. They didn't say anything, but Audrey knew that they probably had a dozen questions as to why she was wandering around at night with her suitcase.

"So…was that your SUV that we passed?" Bill asked, glancing back at Audrey using the rearview mirror. She nodded with a small blush.

"Yes…"

"Don't think that you're old enough to drive. What are you, sixteen?"

"I will be in September." She said, sinking back into the worn leather seat.

"You don't look so good." One of the twins commented.

"Yeah, are you all right?" The other asked. Audrey shook her head, shutting her eyes to try and focus on something besides the churning in her stomach. Ron stared at Audrey, noticing how tired and worn down she seemed despite her seemingly pleasant attitude.

"Don't worry, when we get home, my mum can make you some tea." Audrey's eyes flew open and she shook her head.

"No, I don't want to be a bother." Ron shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, my mom likes doing that kind of stuff." Audrey sighed as they pulled up to a well lit house. The boys quickly loaded themselves out of the car, but waited patiently for Audrey to step out and got her suitcase from the trunk. The twins carried it without being asked and led the march to the front door. Audrey shrunk next to Ron, her eyes focused on the ground as she fought the itch to not pull at her shirt. Her baby bump was only slightly protruding, but it could quite possibly give her away.

As soon as they entered the house, Audrey was overwhelmed with a dozen different smells and sights. From what she could see, the surprisingly large family was just gathering for dinner. She hesitated at the door as the four boys rushed in and took their seats. Ron looked back with a quirked eyebrow.

"Are you gonna sit down?"

"Ronald, who is this?"

A woman with frizzy red hair and a lumpy sweater very similar to Ron's suddenly stepped into Audrey's line of sight holding a platter with a steaming chicken.

"That's Audrey, she's a friend from school." Ron explained, his eyes focused on the bird that his mother held. The woman set down the platter to allow her family to dig in, but her eyes remained focused on Audrey. She smiled, but there was something curious in her eyes.

"Hello…my name's Molly, it's nice to meet you." She said, sticking out her hand. Audrey quickly shook her hand, offering her a shy smile. "What are you doing out this late at night…and all the way out here?"

"We found her on the side of the road." Bill quickly spoke up before Audrey could say anything.

"Her car ran out of gas." The twins said in unison. Audrey blushed heavily, shrinking back against the doorframe.

"If you don't mind, could I please use your phone to call a tow truck?"

"Nonsense!" Molly exclaimed. "You'll stay the night and in the morning the boys will take care of getting you where you need to go."

"Oh I don't want to be a bother."

"Nonsense." Molly insisted again. "The nearest town is thirty minutes away, a tow truck wouldn't come this late." Molly gently touched Audrey's shoulder, a warm smile on her face. "You can stay here tonight and we'll get things figured out in the morning."

Audrey was suddenly overcome by this warm tingling that started high in her belly. She smiled back at Molly, but was surprised when tears began to fall. She gasped and quickly wiped away the tears so that nobody would see, but Molly couldn't help but see. Molly gently cooed and brought Audrey into a tight hug. Her sweater, which was goose feather soft, provided the softest pillow for Audrey to quietly cry against. She cried quietly while Molly slowly rubbed her back, gently rocking her back and forth.

"Shhh, its all right ducky." She whispered. "Come on, let's sit down and have some dinner." Audrey nodded, discreetly wiping away her tears and letting out a little sigh to calm herself down.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I got so upset." She whispered. Molly shook her head, gently taking her hand and squeezing it.

"Not to worry, sometimes a good cry makes everybody feel better." She whispered back with a wink.

"Mum, Fred's hogging the potatoes!"

"I am not!"

"No fighting in front of company!"

Molly walked her to the long table, making room for Audrey next to Ron. She fetched Audrey a plate and cutlery for Audrey before sitting down next to her and swiftly piling the food onto Audrey's plate.

"Tuck in sweetheart, nobody goes hungry while they're in my house." Audrey smiled at her, letting out a little sigh and slowly taking bites, the size increasing with each forkful.

It was the sweetest meal that she had ever eaten.


	30. Chapter 30

So I know that you guys want me to update as soon as possible, but I'm trying to pull out the enjoyment of this story for as long as possible...so I will only update on Fridays, sorry!

...

Audrey hadn't realized how abnormal her family situation was until now. She knew that her father was the furthest thing from normal, but she was comparing the way that the Malfoy's treated her to what she was observing. The Weasley's didn't have servants or nannies; they didn't have a driver that took them around in several different expensive cars. It was just the kids and the parents, nobody here to help them if they needed it. And even then, they didn't seem to mind. They were happy and content to just be by themselves.

Audrey was completely fascinated by how they interacted with each other. As they sat in the living room after dinner, she watched as Molly and Arthur just talked with their kids. It was astounding! They actually cared about what their kids had to say; what she had to say. It made her want to cry, but she swallowed the lump in her throat and smiled as they joked amongst each other. She sat and watched, soaking in every moment. Audrey decided that this was how she wanted her family to be. She wanted to have a living room filled with happy children. No servants, no nannies, and no drivers.

It would just be her and Draco…and their children.

That night, after she had been shown where she was going to sleep, Audrey was given the esteemed privilege of taking the first shower of the night. This was a special honor because they would run out of hot water very quickly, so Audrey was flattered. She found the shower to be smaller than what she was used to, but was happy to just take a shower. Her worries were slowly pushed from her mind as she stood underneath the extremely hot water. She pushed back her hair and closed her eyes, letting a small shudder run down her spine.

Suddenly, Audrey's stomach started to lurch and clench uncontrollably and she knew that she wouldn't be able to hold back her sickness this time. She jumped from the shower and dove for the toilet, letting the first wave of sickness wash over her. She groaned before she was overcome again, the smell only making her stomach cramps worse. There was suddenly a knock on the door and Audrey's sickness instantly worsened.

"Audrey, are you all right?" Molly's voice echoed against the mismatched tiles as she managed to pick up her head from the toilet bowl. "I'm coming in."

The door flew open, where Molly found a naked Audrey supporting herself on the old toilet.

The moment that Molly got a good look at Audrey, she knew.

She instantly shut the door and locked it, dropping down next to Audrey and helping her sit up. With the edge of her apron, Molly wiped Audrey's mouth and forehead as she teetered back and forth on the floor.

"Relax, relax ducky, it'll pass." She whispered, slowly rubbing her back. Audrey lazily nodded, leaning against Molly and forgetting that she was soaking wet and naked. After taking in a few deep, calming breaths, Audrey managed to fully open her eyes and look at Molly.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. Molly shook her head, patting her back with a comforting smile.

"Just…please, tell me that Ron isn't the father." Audrey's eyes widened and she instantly shook her head.

"No!" Molly let out a sigh, closing her eyes and groaning.

"Oh thank Merlin."

Another knock shook the thin door.

"Mum, is Audrey okay?" Both women were somehow relieved to hear Ron's voice, which had become soft and gentle. Molly wrapped Audrey in a large bath robe before she unlocked and opened the door. She leaned in close to Ron and began to talk to him in a hushed tone. No doubt she was telling him that Audrey was sadly pregnant at fifteen. He nodded before stepping to the side and allowing his mother to pass before he stepped back into the bathroom and shut the door. He sat down next to her and was silent for a very long time before he said anything.

"You married Malfoy, didn't you?" He asked, his tone suddenly changing to something much harsher and darker.

"Yes I did." She admitted with a heavy frown. Ron slowly shook his head, no longer able to look at the innocent girl that sat in front of him. From the moment that he had met Audrey, he knew that she was a girl that was kind and selfless. She was an example of pure human generosity that was such a rare gem in this chaos that was their world. It was confusing to him why she would need to date somebody like Draco. The guy was a piece of scum…so why the hell was she with him?

"I…I don't know what to say to you." Audrey furrowed her brow together as Ron slammed his back against the door. "He's such a piece of shit and you're…"

"You don't have the right to talk to me like that." Audrey said firmly. "You don't know me, you don't know my situation, and you don't have the right to judge me." Ron pursed his lips together.

"Then tell me about your situation." He insisted.

"You wouldn't understand." She whispered. "You would probably throw me out of your house if I told you everything." She told him, recalling the fiasco with her roommates at the beginning of the year.

"Tell me, I promise not to judge you."

"But you already have." She countered before looking away from him, pushing her still wet hair from her shoulders. When Audrey remained silent, Ron decided to change his approach.

"You're fifteen, pregnant, and married to an asshole. I don't think your situation could get any worse." Audrey flinched, looking up into his eyes.

"You really think that Draco's an asshole?"

"For the love of all that is good, YES!" Audrey couldn't help but crack a smile, but it fell back into a deep frown.

"If I tell you, you have to promise not to get angry or kick me out of the house." Ron quirked an eyebrow, but nodded, eager to hear what she had to say.

…

In the early morning hours, Ron loaded Audrey's suitcase into the powder blue car and the two quietly drove away into the city. Audrey's SUV was left completely forgotten and the pair sat silently as Ron drove them through at least a dozen towns before finally reaching a metropolitan area with a small suburban community. Audrey stared at the many identical houses before Ron pulled up to a faded yellow house with white trim. There were pinwheels and bird feeders scattered in the front garden along with a few well hidden lawn noms. Audrey stayed close behind Ron as he walked to the front door. Seconds before he rang the doorbell, the door was ripped open and they were confronted with a very weary and disheveled looking Hermione. She took one look at Audrey before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Good morning, please come in, it's chilly." She said before stepping aside and letting the two in. She led them to a spotless sitting room where Hermione dropped down into a plush leather chair. "So it's all true?" She asked without looking up from her lap. Audrey glanced over at Ron as they sat on a spotless white couch.

"I wrote to her last night and told her what you told me." He quickly explained without even needing to be questioned.

"We have to figure this out." Hermione's eyes focused on Audrey. "It's not that I don't believe you because I know that you have no reason to lie, but how can you be sure that You-Know-Who is your father?"

"He came to my wedding." Audrey said grimly. "He smiled at me…and called me his daughter." Audrey's hands stared to shake as the images of her wedding played through her mind. "He was in the front row and watched with a big smile." Hermione furrowed her brow together.

"Where did you have the wedding?"

"At Draco's house." Audrey replied. Her lower lip suddenly started to quiver. "He wanted me to call him daddy…" Ron gently put an arm around Audrey's shoulders as she began to cry out of sheer fear.

"What do we do?" Ron asked as Audrey fell against him.

"We use this to our advantage." Hermione said firmly. "If she really is You-Know-Who's daughter, he would want to keep her safe, right?" Ron nodded. "Then we take her with us. He won't hurt us as long as we have her." Ron scoffed as Audrey peeked through her tear soaked fingers.

"You want to take the girl hostage?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"We're not taking her hostage; we're just going to take her with us…if she wants to go." Hermione watched as Audrey wiped her face of any tears. "We're going to search for Horocrux's, do you want to come with us?"

"What is a Horocrux?" She asked curiously.

"Better yet, why don't you tell her why we're searching for Horocrux's." Ron muttered. Hermione pursed her lips together, glaring at Ron.

"I was getting to that." She shot back. "Audrey…do you know how evil your father is?" Audrey stared blankly at Hermione, her heart starting to pound.

"Yes." She whispered. "I know that my father is a very bad man."

"If we destroy the Horocrux's that your father has hidden, then…we can destroy your father." Audrey grimaced.

"I'm sorry, but could you please stop referring to Him as my father? I'm trying to forget that He's related to me." She said with a heavy blush. Hermione quickly nodded, smiling slightly.

"Sorry." She muttered. "Anyway, if we destroy the Horocrux's, we can kill You-Know-Who…but it's up to you. Otherwise I would probably advise you-."

"No." Audrey stated firmly. "I think it's a brilliant idea for me to come with you." She said with a firm nod. Ron looked at Hermione nervously, but she continued to smile.

"Great." She said. "We'll all go to Harry's house tomorrow to pick him up and then…we leave." Audrey nodded, letting out a small sigh.

"I promise that I won't be a bother."


	31. Chapter 31

"Have you lost your fucking mind?" Hermione rolled her eyes as Ron nervously paced back and forth in the large Granger kitchen. Audrey had fallen asleep in the small guest room after a day of walking around the park near Hermione's house and then a small barbeque cooked by Ron and the consequential fire put out by Hermione. This gave Hermione and Ron a chance to discuss their most recent decision. Usually, Hermione was the one panicking about various, small things, so it was somewhat unusual to see their roles reversed.

"Calm down and try to see this from my point of view." She said calmly. "Audrey is His daughter and she's pregnant with His grandchild, which could possibly be the male heir that he's been waiting for." Ron quirked an eyebrow.

"Why would he need an heir if his plan is to live forever?"

"He's planning for everything." Hermione said, shrugging her shoulders. "Just like the Horocrux's, he's doing whatever he can to keep himself on this planet. I can guarantee you that if we have her, he won't touch us."

"Or he'll hunt us down, take her, and then rip us limb from limb before burning whatever's left of us." Hermione glared at him, crossing her arms.

"Well then what do you suggest we do with her? She's fifteen and pregnant, she obviously can't go back to the Malfoy's."

"And that's another thing! It's one thing to take her with us, but she's pregnant! What if she has the baby while we're in the middle of the woods?"

"Then we will deal with it when we come to it." She said, avoiding Ron's quizzical gaze. She knew that there were holes in her plan and in her logic, but she didn't have time to think of anything better. All she knew was that Audrey could be a very valuable asset and she couldn't risk losing the extremely impressionable young girl.

"This isn't going to work." Ron muttered. "What's Harry going to say when we show up with her?"

"I don't know Ron, I never was very good at Divination, remember?" Ron sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't want any of us to get hurt." He whispered.

"We all knew the risks when we agreed to do this." She said, slowly pulling her hair back into a low ponytail. "We're doing this because Harry needs us…and now Audrey needs us too."

Hermione glanced up at Ron, who had the most pathetic look on his face. Hermione had never seen him look so glum before, but she knew that his mood couldn't be helped. They were about to risk their lives and now they were adding on the responsibility of taking care of a pregnant woman. Yes, Audrey had promised not to be a bother, but how could she foresee the changes that her body would go through? How could she? She was so damn young; she couldn't even legally drink yet!

"Promise me that if things get too dangerous, we leave her with my parents or Bill or Charlie." Ron said, leaning against the marble countertop. Hermione quickly nodded.

"We'll do what we have to do…but for now, let's get some sleep."

…

In the silence of the ironically named Sun Wing, Draco finally understood the loneliness that Audrey must have felt her whole life. Although the colors were festive and the sun lit up the many small lamps decorated with hanging crystals, the entire place seemed horrendously cold and almost mocked him as he spent his days in silence. Audrey had somehow survived and all the while had kept a smile on her face. Draco had no idea how she had somehow managed to do the impossible.

It was a typical, quiet day for Draco. He kept himself busy that morning with one of Audrey's many books, and only became distracted when his stomach started to rumble. He set aside the book and left for the kitchen, secretly wishing that nobody see him. To keep up appearances so that nobody would get suspicious, Draco had been fixing double meals each time he came down, which caused him to gain at least ten pounds. He didn't mind; keeping Audrey safe was worth his weight in gold, no matter how large that sum grew.

Draco prepared two bowls of macaroni and cheese, putting the bowls on a tray before turning to get two glasses of water. He nearly pissed himself when he turned and nearly bumped into his mother as she stood quietly behind him.

"Hello Draco."

"Jesus H. Christ, what the fuck is the matter with you?" He asked, backing against the counter with a loud thud.

"Language darling. Honestly, how many times must I remind you?" Draco glared at him as Narcissa strolled to the small table and casually sat down. "It's so strange to go three days without seeing you." She commented. Draco could already feel the headache forming in his temples.

"That's the point of the spell." He muttered. "To keep you and everybody else away."

"Do you know what else I find odd?" Narcissa asked as if she hadn't even heard Draco speak. "I haven't seen Audrey since our dinner party."

"I'm shocked that you remember that night, you were drunk off your ass." Narcissa laughed, politely folding her hands.

"Either way, I find it very peculiar that I haven't seen the slightest hair of her…and it's been almost a month since that party. Tell me, what has she been doing all that time?" The two stared at one another, Draco scowling while his mother simply continued to smile.

"She's been busy reading and writing…she stays mostly out in the garden, which you would know if you actually ventured outside." Narcissa slowly nodded, looking down at her neatly folded hands.

"I see…then would you be so kind as to invite her to dinner tonight?"

"Who will be there?" He asked, his guard totally up.

"Just your father and myself." She responded with the simple shrug of her shoulders. "A family dinner is just what we need, don't you think?" Draco pushed away from the counter, taking the tray with him.

"Thanks for the invite, but we'll pass." Narcissa shot from the chair and grabbed Draco's arm and yanked him back.

"Listen to me, if I find out that that girl is gone, so help me God…"

"What mother? What can you do to me now?" He spit out. "Think about it, you're no threat to me. I'm more important than you now, so don't even think about threatening me." He yanked his arm away from her grasp and let the tray fall to the ground. The bowls smashed and scattered across the ground, but Draco had already turned to leave and was gone when Narcissa started to scream.

"Come back here this instant!" She yelled, her cheeks bright red. Draco refused to turn around. He refused to ever let that woman threaten or judge him ever again.


	32. Chapter 32

Surprise! Double chapter Friday!

...

Even though Audrey knew that she was in a very dangerous situation, she had never felt so welcome. Harry had smiled and hugged her when he first saw her on his doorstep. He didn't judge her for her baby bump, which was very obvious thanks to the tight shirt that Draco had packed for her. While she was appreciative of him packing up her things, couldn't he have picked something a little more flattering to her current situation?

Nobody else judged her either.

She reveled in the feel of this oddly put together family. Audrey desperately wanted to be part of them, even when they stood in the kitchen fighting.

At least they were talking to each other.

"How are you holding up Audrey?" Hermione suddenly asked as they climbed over a small embankment just on the other side of a small river.

"I'm fine." Audrey said happily. Harry suddenly reached out and took her hand as they began down a steep hill. She blushed at the sudden skin to skin contact, but realized that this wasn't an intimate form of contact, but it was simply a friend's way of helping her down the hill.

"Really, how are you feeling?" He asked as Hermione and Ron began to pull away from them.

"A little sick to my stomach." She admitted. "But that sort of thing comes with the territory." Harry nodded, sneaking a quick glance at her belly.

"How far along are you?"

"Just about three months…guess I'm going to get fatter after this." Harry laughed as they dashed across the river, but didn't make any attempt to catch up with Ron and Hermione.

"So…how did you get out of there?" He asked curiously. "From what I heard, you were under tight lock and key." Audrey pulled the jacket tighter around her, watching her feet cut through the turning leaves.

"Draco had been packing my things for at least a month; gathering small bits of money, stealing clothes and putting them in a suitcase, packing my wand. And then one night he gave me a set of keys and told me to run." Harry nodded, finding it difficult to believe that Malfoy would do something so kind. It was completely out of character for him. Audrey looked up at him, seeing how confused he looked. "I know that you might think Draco's a mean person, but I wish that you could see the man that I see."

"And I wish that you could see the man that I've seen for the past seven years." He shot back.

"I have." Audrey said. "For the longest time, he ignored me and said the worse things about me…but as he grew up, I guess he started to acknowledge me more. And believe me, I find it sad that he has trouble controlling that bad side of himself. I wish that he would simply choose one personality and then…maybe I should have listened to the advice that was given to me…my friends begged me a dozen times to not do it and to date other men." She laughed to herself. "That's how I met you." Harry shook his head with a smirk.

"Of course…I should have known that Hermione was trying to set me up with somebody." Audrey laughed.

"I don't think she was trying to set us up, I think that she was trying to introduce me to people and get me to make more friends." She softly smiled. "I didn't realize how valuable friends were…apparently they were priceless." Harry nodded, staring at the back of his friends' heads with a fond smile. It was almost a crime for Audrey to discover so late in life that friends could truly be life changing. While she had no reason to boast of her current situation, being married and pregnant at fifteen, at least she had good friends to rely on.

"Come on you two, keep up!" Hermione called to them, already a great distance ahead with Ron at her side.

"Oh come on!" Harry yelled back. "The girl is pregnant; you can't push her along like a bleedin' horse!" Even from that great distance away, Harry could still see Hermione roll her eyes.

"We don't have time; we have to make it into the forest a certain distance-."

"All right, all right, I get it." Harry called out. He glanced over at Audrey with a small shrug. "Sorry, I tried." Audrey laughed, adjusting the pack on her back.

"It's all right, I appreciate you trying."

…

Audrey quickly found her place among the small group.

While Hermione was brilliant at almost everything she did, cooking was clearly not one of her strong points. She couldn't even boil water to save her life. When she was younger, Audrey had often wandered down to the kitchen to watch the three cooks that constantly worked in the kitchen. One woman, a kind, middle aged woman, often called Audrey over to help her. She would do simple things that a child could do like measure flour or count out eggs. All the while, Audrey watched and soaked in everything she could. Of course, she had never been able to put any of these skills into practice, but there was no time like the present to try!

She diced a small potato in her hand before dropping it into the pot of boiling water. The two boys were watching with growing appetites while Hermione focused her attention on a large book and a crumpled map.

"This is going to have to act as camp for the next few days." She finally muttered. "We'll have to stay until we can think up a better plan for movement." She looked up at the two boys, who were hungrily focused on the soup that Audrey was carefully making. "Is anybody listening?"

"I am." Audrey quickly responded, looking up at her with a bright smile. Hermione smiled back at her before looking at the two boys.

"Audrey, would you please stop peeling?" She asked politely. Audrey stopped and the two boys seemed to perk up, as if they had been snapped out of a trance.

"Why'd you stop?"

"You need to pay attention." Hermione insisted. "We have to stay here for a few days." Ron furrowed his brow together as Audrey slowly sliced up a carrot and let the pieces fall into the pot.

"Why?"

"I already explained that." Hermione's cheeks began to burn bright red as Ron continued to sit there with a confused look on his face.

"We are listening." Harry said, trying to relieve the tension in their small circle. "We're both just really hungry and we'd like to eat first before we focus on anything else." His explanation was calm and it seemed to relax Hermione.

"Right…I suppose that you're no good to me when all you can think about is food." Hermione tucked away her map inside of her book and set it down on the ground beside her. She rested her chin onto her open palm and got sucked into the show of Audrey cooking. It was a silent couple of minutes before Ron suddenly opened his mouth.

"What was it like living with the Malfoy's?"

Harry and Hermione tensed at the question, but Audrey gently stirred the soup as if she hadn't heard anything.

"I'm not really sure what you want me to say." She said. "I didn't hate living there, but it wasn't exactly the most thrilling experience of my life." She pushed back her hair as she did her best to recall her feelings of her time spent at the Malfoy Manor. "The provided me with everything materialistic that I needed, but it's not like they would hug me on a daily basis…in fact, I don't think they ever hugged me." Audrey shrugged her shoulders, mindlessly checking the soup.

"So…they just left you alone?" Ron persisted. "Did you guys even eat together?" Audrey laughed.

"Yes, we ate together, but it was always very formal. It wasn't like dinner at your house…it was like you were going to a fancy party every meal and you had to be on your best behavior." Ron shook his head, clicking his tongue.

"That sounds like the worst childhood." He said sadly.

"Yeah, sounds almost as bad as mine." Harry said with a lazy smirk. Audrey's stomach clenched, her expression completely changing.

"I'm sorry for what my father's done to you…" Harry shook his head.

"There's absolutely no need to apologize, you haven't done anything wrong." Audrey shook her head, finding that explanation unacceptable.

"I wish that I could do something." She said, the honest concern dripping from every word. Harry smirked, leaning forward.

"Well, you can start by giving me some soup."


	33. Chapter 33

"Draco Malfoy, you bring that girl out here this instant!"

Draco slouched in his bed, trying to focus on his paper. His parents and a large group of Death Eaters were just outside the barrier of the Sun Wing and they were not happy. Of course, they had become extremely suspicious that they hadn't seen Audrey for an unreasonable amount of time. His mother was especially pissed because Draco suspected that she knew that Audrey was pregnant. Or perhaps she was upset because it appeared that Draco and Audrey had taken back control of their lives. Either way, she just wouldn't stop screaming.

"I know that you can hear me!" She yelled, stamping her foot angrily.

"Boy, don't think that we can't remove this barrier that you've created." Lucius threatened. Draco cocked an eyebrow, glancing towards the door.

"Then why haven't you?"

"Do not speak to your father in that tone!" Narcissa exclaimed angrily. Draco shrugged his shoulders, going back to his paper.

"I was only asking a question." He muttered, going back to a story about another conflict in the Middle East concerning British troops. Draco enjoyed a few minutes of silence before a loud boom came from the hallway. He instantly threw aside his newspaper and went running out into the hallway, only to be greeted with the site of his well made barrier quivering against his father's fierce spells. He took swift steps, but was encouraged when he saw that his father was unable to bring down the wall that he had so skillfully put up. His father finally stopped, throwing down his wand with curses flying from his lips.

"What kind of spell is this?" Lucius asked angrily, his hair disheveled and his cheeks an unflattering pink.

"Found it in one of the books that you dumped onto Audrey…it's a very old spell, so don't expect to find a quick fix any time soon."

"I could have you killed for this!" Lucius screamed as Narcissa began to cry from frustration. Draco crossed his arms, completely unmoved by any threats.

"I'd like to see you try." He muttered. "Until Audrey gets pregnant, I'm all that you've got." Narcissa's eyes widened, the displeasure obvious on her face.

"You two have been married for almost four months, how could she not be pregnant yet?"

"Because it takes more than four months to make a baby."

"Well have you been sleeping with her every night?" She asked impatiently. Draco rolled his eyes.

"I'm not going to share details of my sex life." Lucius held up his hand so as to stop all conversation. He waited patiently for his wife to stop screaming and his son to pay attention.

"Just let us see the girl and we will leave you alone."

Draco knew that they would eventually ask to see her. So naturally, he had prepared for this moment using the same book that he had to make the barrier. He did his best to hide how nervous he was as he turned back to the doorway.

"Audrey, could you please come to the door?" He called out. With almost a whisper of silence, the fake Audrey appeared in the doorway, looking exactly as she had on their wedding night. It was the clearest memory that Draco had of her. Perhaps her hair was a little perfectly curled and she looked to be a little taller, but from that distance they would never be able to tell.

Draco looked back at them, doing his best to hide the pride of how well he had managed to pull off the spell.

"Happy?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow. Lucius sighed, glaring at his son, knowing that he couldn't yell at him for doing what he was asked.

"Just do whatever you need to do to get her pregnant." Draco nodded before his father stormed away followed by his mother and the other Death Eaters. He looked back to see his fake Audrey standing absolutely still. He smirked and slowly walked towards his room where he waved away his fake Audrey and shut the door. She instantly disappeared and would only reappear when she needed to be seen again. He crawled back into his bed and picked up his paper again, turning back to his story and settling back in.

"Just a few more months…just a few more months…"

…

"Shouldn't she be eating more?" Ron asked before shoveling another spoonful of soup into his mouth. Hermione sighed, glaring at the man sitting next to her.

"Ron, don't talk about Audrey as if she weren't here." She muttered with narrowed eyes. Audrey smirked as she set aside her bowl and gently pulled back her hair into a low bun.

"But she's pregnant, shouldn't she be eating really weird stuff?" Audrey's stomach clenched in hunger as she remembered her special sushi. She would give almost anything for just five large pieces…

"Ron, she's sitting right next to you, talk to her about these things."

"I'm fine." Audrey quickly said, saving them from arguing back and forth.

"But don't you need to eat weird stuff because you're pregnant?" He asked with a furrowed brow.

"I don't need to, but it's a nice indulgence." She admitted.

"What did you crave?" Harry asked after he had sucked down the last drop of soup from his bowl.

"Sushi." She replied with a longing in her voice. Ron scoffed.

"That doesn't sound so gross." Audrey bit her lower lip.

"With peanut butter and mayonnaise on top." Ron instantly gagged, shuddering at the thought. "It was delicious to me!" She exclaimed with a loud laugh.

"That sounds dreadful!" He exclaimed, almost falling to the ground. Hermione and Harry laughed at his reaction while Audrey sat there with a large smirk on her face.

"It was wonderful…Draco would bring it for me almost every day and would actually sit with me while I ate it…I knew that the smell disgusted him, but he would sit and read and act as if he wasn't affected by it." Their laughter slowly died down and was replaced by an awkward silence.

"Sounds like Draco was actually a good husband." Hermione muttered. Audrey nodded.

"For the few months that we were together, he was very good to me…after all, he was the one that helped me escape." Hermione smirked.

"I find that hard to believe." She commented. "The Draco Malfoy that you know is very different from the one that we know." Audrey again nodded as her eyelids started to droop.

"It's unfortunate that you're tied down to him." Ron muttered. "You could have any block that you could want…and instead you got saddled with him." Audrey perked up, a strange sense of defense and confusion stirring in the pit of her stomach.

"I don't feel that I was saddled with him." She said. "And I doubt that I could do any better than Draco." Ron scoffed, leaning back in his seat.

"You're beautiful and go and say a thing like that? Have you ever looked at yourself in a mirror?" Audrey blushed, remembering all the times that she had looked at herself in the mirror and had picked apart every section of her face…and she remembered how Narcissa had stood right behind her and had said the same exact things. Had everybody lied to her? Was she pretty, like Ron was saying?

"How am I petty?" She asked, still lost. Ron stared at her for the longest time, the flickering flames dancing across his pale, freckled face.

"You're prettiest when you smile…and almost as pretty when there's no expression on your face. You're just…just so…damn it you're pretty! There's no way to describe how you're pretty, you just are!" A smile fought its way onto Audrey's face as Ron sat stewing in his own frustration.

"All my life…I've been told that I have such a plain face…so I always assumed that they were right." Ron shook his head, seeming to become relaxed by Audrey's smile.

"Good, own up to it and accept it." Audrey nodded, the blush remaining on her cheeks. She didn't know why she always blushed whenever Ron or Harry smiled at her. Perhaps it was because they were both so nice and funny and cute…no, she was a married woman, she couldn't look at them like that. She was pregnant; how on earth could those two actually find her somewhat attractive? Even though Ron had forced the thought of her pretty appearance down her throat, she silently still had her own inhibitions about what she saw verses what other people saw.

"I should probably clean up." Audrey stated, standing up and taking the pot from its holder. Hermione instantly jumped up, taking the pot from her.

"No, let me!" She exclaimed. "You cooked, the least I could do is clean up. You go and get some rest." Audrey hesitated as the two boys casually disappeared into their small tent.

"Are you sure? I mean…you're not doing this just because I'm pregnant, are you?" Hermione quickly shook her head.

"No, I want to help." She explained. "Tell you what, I'll cook tomorrow and then you can clean up."

"NO!"

Audrey bit back a laugh as Ron and Harry both yelled from the tent. Hermione glared at them despite the fact that she couldn't see them.

"And why not?"

"Because your cooking sucks." Ron quickly called back without missing a beat.

"My cooking does not suck." Hermione shot back defensively.

"Yes it does." Harry instantly said. Audrey offered a consoling smile to Hermione, gently patting her shoulder.

"I'll just keep cooking, okay? It makes me feel useful." Ron let out a heavy sigh from inside the tent.

"Well thank Merlin for that."


	34. Chapter 34

I am so happy that this story is getting such positive feedback! I just want you all to know that I appreciate you all reading! Also, I have a question for you guys! So I have two stories that I just started and I'm wondering which you would like to read first! Would you all rather read a story about Sirius and Lupin or a story about Charlie Weasley? I won't give you guys a plot because it's too early for me to really give a full plot, but they are both very sad stories with not very happy endings. Just let me know, and then I'll know which story to give the most focus to!

...

Draco didn't know how he had done it.

Honestly, he had no idea.

Somehow he had managed to get himself and his fake Audrey out of the house and to the train station. Of course, he had to leave at four in the morning and drag around two huge trunks, but it was worth it to keep the secret from his parents. When he arrived at the castle, he went straight to the dungeons where he found Professor Snape lounging in his potions classroom. Draco slammed the trunks down and strode to the front of the classroom.

"I need a favor." He said, making Snape look up from a few unimportant papers on his desk. The first thing he noticed was Audrey's trunk and the fact that there was no Audrey.

"Where is Ms. Lidder?" Snape asked in his typical drawl.

"It's not Ms. Lidder anymore…it's Mrs. Malfoy now..." He said, glancing back to make sure that the door was shut. Snape's expression didn't change, but Draco could see the faintest hint of surprise in his eyes.

"She's a bit young for you, don't you think?"

"Doesn't matter now, it's done, consummated, and…" Draco bit his lip to keep the next words from spilling out of his mouth. "I need you to hide her trunk." He said, pushing back his hair.

"Where is your wife, Draco?" Snape asked as he slowly stood up from his desk and moved towards Draco.

Draco stared at his teacher, mentally wondering whether or not he could trust his long time teacher. He would report anything and everything back to his parents, but Draco had nobody else to turn to…he had to risk it and trust Snape.

"I sent her away." He said quietly. "I sent her away because…she's pregnant." Snape's face instantly flared to life as he grabbed Draco by the shoulder and forced him to sit.

"Have you lost your fucking mind?" Draco pushed him away, stumbling back from the table with a scowl on his face.

"I didn't have any other choice! Who knows what they wanted to do with her and the baby?" Snape let out a heavy sigh as he began to pace back and forth.

"We don't have a say in what happens to Audrey and the baby." He said. Draco glared up at him.

"She's my wife and she's carrying my child, of course I have a say!" Snape shook his head.

"Not when You-Know-Who is involved…He is Audrey's father and the grandfather of the child, He's her only blood relative. He doesn't need you anymore…unless Audrey gives birth to a girl, then you are needed." Draco nodded, but suddenly furrowed his brow in confusion as he processed what had just been said.

"Why would it matter if Audrey had a boy or a girl?" Snape stopped pacing, staring down at his troubled student.

"Years ago, they came across a passage on how to transfer the soul of a person into an empty body." He scowled, pulling up a chair and sitting across from Draco. "That was the original purpose of Elizabeth. They wanted her to give birth to a boy so that You-Know-Who could move into a healthy body and live…but instead, she had Audrey." Draco stared down at the table.

"So then the responsibility of giving our Lord a new body was passed down to Audrey and myself." He said, finally understanding.

"This child is his last hope…if she doesn't have a boy, they will most likely kill both of you and the baby." Draco rested his head on the table, trying to breath as evenly as possible. Snape watched the young man try to hold onto what little control that he had left, but that was clearly a losing battle. He reached across the table and took Draco's shoulder. "You made the right decision by sending her away." He whispered.

"I just want to keep her safe." Draco said, keeping his face down on the table.

"I will hold onto Audrey's trunk and I won't tell your parents about her leaving." Draco finally picked up his head, his nose read and his eyes puffy. Neither of them would acknowledge that he had been crying, but it was a fact that clearly couldn't be ignored.

"Thank you…I didn't know what else to do for her, so I had to send her away." Snape nodded, squeezing his shoulder to try and comfort him.

"Where is she now?" He asked. Draco shrugged his shoulders, resting his head in one of his hands.

"I don't know." He admitted. "I packed her clothes, gave her money, her passport, her wand, and told her to get out of the country as quickly as she could."

"The only way that poor girl would be safe would be if she were to hide with a tribe in Africa." Draco snorted, finally cracking a smirk.

"She would probably make cookies for them and host a tea party." He mused to himself. Snape almost smiled.

"She is far too sweet a girl…I never thought that she would actually go through with the wedding." Draco nodded, slowly standing up.

"Yeah, for some reason she loves me." Snape sighed, leaning back with crossed arms and shaking his head.

"I'll never understand that."

…

Audrey groaned, lying on her back on the blanketed ground and gazing up at the sky. She was almost five months along and her pregnant belly was now very hard to ignore. She was uncomfortable and hot despite the fact that it was snowing. She was grouchy and doing everything that she could to keep herself from snapping at her fellow travelers. She arched her back to try and relieve the pressure on her spine, but it did nothing and only upset her further.

"Can I get you anything Audrey?" Hermione asked from beside her as she sat on the same blanket, studying her books and her maps.

"No thank you." She instantly answered.

She would not be a bother…she would not be a bother…

"Don't you need a jacket?" Ron asked, sitting across the camp fire with Harry next to him. "It's below freezing and you're in a bloody tee shirt and those stupid baggy pants that girls always wear…what the fuck do they call those things?"

"Yoga pants." Hermione quickly answered, her eyes focused on her book.

"Right, something that a pregnant woman shouldn't be wearing." Audrey smirked, shaking her head.

"I'm sweating, the last thing I want right now is a jacket." She explained. Ron furrowed his brow.

"Why the hell are you sweating?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Hormones, Ron." She said. "It's what happens when you have a baby." Ron stared at Audrey as she turned onto her side, resting a hand on her stomach.

"What are you going to name it?" Audrey slowly opened her eyes, looking up at Ron with a small smile.

"I haven't decided yet." She admitted. "Draco probably wouldn't care what I named it, would he?" All three shook their heads in unison, almost laughing at the thought of Draco caring.

"You could name that child anything and Draco wouldn't show the slightest bit of interest." Harry told her honestly. Audrey pulled herself up, sitting cross legged on her outstretched blanket. Draco had seemed to care…why else would he have sent her away? He must have cared…he had to care…

"What if it's a boy?" Hermione asked, trying to redirect the conversation while she studied. Audrey innocently smiled.

"I've always liked the name Peter."

"Good name." Harry said with a smile. Audrey returned the smile, but quickly looked away.

"This is probably the last thing that you all want to talk about." She said, her face slowly going red.

"It's nice to talk about the future." Harry said, a strange solemn tone in his voice.

"And if it's a girl?" Hermione asked, once again moving the conversation along.

"Alice." Audrey said almost without any thought. "Alice Carol." That made Hermione look up from her book with a big goofy grin.

"You mean like Lewis Carroll?" She asked. Audrey quickly nodded.

"When I was left alone, I would read the 'Alice' series and poems over and over until I could almost say it from memory."

"Me too!" Hermione eagerly exclaimed. "My favorite part was the Jaberwocky poem, it was so nonsensical and absolutely wonderful." Hermione cast aside her books and maps and scooted closer to Audrey. "What was your favorite part?" She asked as if she were some eager toddler.

"The escape that it offered." She said. "I didn't have to think about where I was or how lonely I was…and I never want my child to feel the loneliness that I felt."

As tears slowly slipped from her eyes, Hermione pulled her into a tight hug, gently petting down her hair. The snow started to fall harder around them, creating a white crown on both of their heads.

"I'm scared of what's going to happen to me and my child." She whispered into Hermione's ear.

"We'll make sure that you're both safe." Harry suddenly said. "No child should ever grow up alone like we did." Audrey shrunk back, smiling up at him and wiping away her tears.

A thought suddenly popped into her head and Audrey didn't push it away. She thought about how different her life might have been if she had met Harry first. Obviously, she wouldn't be married and pregnant. She would probably hate Draco just as much as they did. But she probably wouldn't be here with them. She would probably be at school with her friends, whoever they may be. And…maybe she would be with Harry. They both had very similar upbringings and had both dealt with the feeling of abandonment. Clearly, they both got along very well and he seemed to like her.

But Audrey didn't meet Harry first, she had met Draco. She had fallen for him and had bound herself to him for the rest of her life. And now, Audrey would wonder for the rest of her life what if…?


	35. Chapter 35

So I probably should have been a little more specific about the two stories that I'm writing. The story with Sirius and Lupin is not a boy/boy story. It is a story that involves them as characters. Plus, there's this girl...I don't want to give too much away, but it's kind of awesome. Also, the story with Charlie is awesome too. Both stories are like four chapters long, but I just want to know which you would prefer to read net.

Also, about this story, I have written an epilogue. It's 8 pages long and follows JK's last chapter 19 years later. But I'm wondering if it would just be a waste of a chapter since it basically goes around in a circle. Anyway, let me know what you guys think! Happy Friday!

BTW, the net two chapters are very sad...so brace yourselves...

...

There was no question that the power at Hogwarts had shifted. Because they had no Head Master, Professor Snape was given the job on a temporary basis. At the same time, Draco had assumed the position of Head Boy at school. Nobody would mess with him and nobody would even look at him. And as strange as it was, Draco wasn't enjoying the attention. All he could think about was Audrey. Snape had called attention to one very important fact: Draco had no idea where Audrey was. With her passport and all of that money, she could be anywhere in the world. For all he knew, she really was in Africa having tea with some tribe. At least his parents were still completely in the dark with some serious help from Snape. He had reported that everything was completely normal and that there was no need to worry.

While he was walking back to his room one night after some studying in the library, Draco heard voices coming from one of the classrooms. He slowly headed towards the classroom, making sure that he was completely silent.

"They're just outside of Oxford." It was Ginny Weasley doing her best to keep her voice down. "Apparently there's an old chapel out there that's supposed to have one."

"How are they doing, do they need us to send them anything? Food?" And there was Neville Longbottom, actually sounding strangely intelligent.

"Do they need any Nunda repellant?" Luna Lovegood…for as long as he lived, Draco would never understand that girl.

"No, they're fine. Audrey's been doing the food shopping and cooking for them."

Draco's jaw dropped as soon as he heard the words. Of all the things that Audrey could do, she had to do this?

"They can't communicate very well, but I got a short letter from Hermione saying that they're all fine and surviving very well."

Draco let out a mental sigh of relief, thrilled that Audrey was safe. He was not happy that she was still in the country, but she had somehow landed in a surprisingly safe place. They wouldn't touch her or Potter because of the baby that she carried. Hopefully, she wouldn't be found until…well, Draco just didn't want her to be found, ever.

"Hey, can you two keep a secret?" Ginny suddenly asked, causing Draco's ears to perk up. The two obviously nodded because Ginny kept talking. "My brother found Audrey on the side of the road; apparently she ran away from Draco's house."

"Why would she do that?" Luna asked in her typical airy manner.

"Draco forced her to marry him. She was running away from an abusive marriage…and she's pregnant." The pair quietly gasped while Draco fumed outside the door. He was not abusive! Ron Weasley was going to receive a serious beat down when he saw him next.

"She's really pregnant?" Neville asked. "That's such a shame, she was always so nice. I'll never understand what she saw in Malfoy, they seemed like such polar opposites."

"I know, when she stayed the night at my house after they found her, she helped clear the dishes and helped my mom clean up, while she was three months pregnant."

They continued to comment on the situation, but Draco didn't want to listen anymore. He quietly walked by the door with his head down and his fists clenched. While he didn't care what other people thought of him, he did care about what people thought of his relationship with Audrey. He was not abusive; he cared deeply for Audrey and his child.

This wasn't right; he had to fix this.

Draco turned and went back to the room where the three of them were still chatting. He slammed open the door, standing in the doorway with a scowl on his face.

"I need to clear some things up." He said as calmly as he could manage. They looked terrified that he was there, but Ginny quickly nodded.

"All right…" She said with frightened eyes.

"First off, I am not abusive. I would do anything for her and…I love her." It was weird to say it, but the words rang true in his mind. "Secondly, Audrey's pregnant with my child, but that only happened after we got married, which she was not forced to do. She wanted to marry me and I wanted to marry her…so please, do me a favor and stop saying those things about us."

"But why did she run?" Luna suddenly asked. Draco sighed, choosing his words carefully.

"She didn't run, I sent her away." He told them. "Audrey was heading to our family home in France…to have the baby, it's part of an old family tradition. I was born in France, my father was born in France, and his father was born in France…that's just how we do things…"

"But…I thought…" Ginny tried to interrupt him, but Draco just shook his head.

"Please…just accept that." He looked over them slowly. "Keep it to yourselves…not for me, but for Audrey. I'm trying to protect her." Without question they all nodded. Draco edged towards the door, but Ginny stopped him.

"When I write back, I'll ask how Audrey is. And when I get a response, I'll let you know." Draco nodded, actually managing to smile at them.

"Thank you, I would really appreciate that." He said before quickly leaving the room with a smile still on his face. The three were suddenly at ease as soon as he left the room, but Ginny had a strange swell of happiness in her stomach.

"I never thought that I'd see the day when Draco Malfoy would actually confess his love for somebody other than himself." She said with a silly grin. Neville nodded, letting out a low whistle.

"I don't think that any of us did."

…

With the news that Audrey was alive and well, a great weight seemed to be lifted from Draco's shoulders. He wasn't thrilled with the company that she was currently keeping, but he would be secretly grateful to Harry, Ron, and Hermione for taking the risk and bringing Audrey with them. Of course, he would never show his gratitude to them. Even if he was having a change of heart, he would never show it.

For some reason, on an especially frigid November evening, Draco couldn't sleep. It was silent and his room was comfortably warm, but Draco couldn't shut his eyes for more than two minutes. He had taken to pacing back and forth in front of the fire place, pondering why he couldn't sleep until the wee hours of the morning.

If only he knew the reason for his strange anxiety…

Miles away, just outside of the chapel in Oxford, Audrey lie sweating with a terrible frown on her face. Her traveling companions were all fast asleep, but there was no way that she could sleep. Sharp, stabbing pains were shooting through her body. It had started hours ago just as she was making dinner, but it was just small little pings of pain. Now it had grown to something immensely painful that she just couldn't deal with for another minute. Her vision was blurring from the pain as she sat up and stumbled out the front entrance of the tent. As soon as she stepped outside and felt a gust of wind hit her face, she groaned. She shuddered as if somebody had just stabbed her in the stomach. Right now, death would be a welcome visitor.

"Oh my God Audrey, what's wrong?" Audrey collapsed to the ground, letting out a soft cry as soon as she sunk into the snow. Hermione dropped down next to her and managed to roll her onto her back. There was panic slapped across her face, but Audrey was too delirious with pain to even register what was going on. "You're covered in blood." She whispered in shock. Audrey stared up at her, her vision blurred with black edges.

"Please help me…something's wrong." Hermione called for the two boys, who were outside and surrounding Audrey within seconds.

"Why's she bleeding?" Harry asked Hermione while taking Audrey's hand to comfort her. They all knew why she was bleeding, but the question had just tumbled out of his mouth. Hermione pulled up her hair and rolled up her sleeves.

"Ron, go grab all of the towels and the medical kit. I'll get her pants off; Harry you help her sit up and keep her conscious. She has to be awake for this." Harry instantly moved behind her and helped her sit up while Ron ran into the tent. Hermione carefully removed her pants, Audrey hardly able to comprehend all of the movement. When she saw Harry's concerned face hovering above her, she actually felt comfort.

"Something's wrong." She said as Ron and Hermione carefully put a towel underneath her and Hermione peeled off her blood soaked pants and underwear. Harry nodded, gently grasping both of her hands.

"I know, we're going to try and help you, okay?" He said softly. She nodded, the pain all running together.

"Okay, I trust you."


	36. Chapter 36

So since I'm finally done with finals and back home, I've decided to celebrate and make this a double chapter Friday! Also...I'm sorry that I have to do this, but this had to be done...please don't be mad...

...

When the sun finally came up, the air was still and the woods were silent. It was a morning that didn't need words nor did it want words. Today, everything needed to be silent.

While Audrey had been mostly blinded by pain, she knew what had happened: she had lost her baby.

It had been a girl; a precious, beautiful girl. Audrey didn't get to see her. Hermione had wrapped the baby up so quickly and had sent Ron into the woods to bury the tiny body. Audrey had passed out from exhaustion, waking up that afternoon. She found herself cleaned up and dressed in new, clean clothes; clothes that didn't even belong to her. Audrey wanted to be embarrassed, but felt that point had already been passed. She stood up, trying to keep her legs from shaking. Audrey slowly walked outside as she pulled her hair up into a high bun. They all looked up to see her with the fire just barely crackling between them.

"Audrey, did we wake you?" Hermione asked, rushing to Audrey's side and taking her arm. Audrey shook her head as Hermione slowly walked her to a chair by the fire. She continued to hold her hand even after they had sat down. "How are you feeling?" She asked her while Ron and Harry watched closely.

"Fine." She responded, staring into the fire.

"You need to drink some water. Do you think you can stomach something? Ron, get her one of those granola bars that you've been hiding. Don't give me that look, I know that you've got a stash." Audrey shook her head before Ron could go searching through one of their many backpacks.

"I don't want anything." She said.

"You need to at least drink some water. Ron, hand me the-."

"I don't want anything." Audrey repeated. Hermione sat there for a minute before she finally accepted defeat and just sat next to Audrey in silence. Audrey adjusted her sweater, finding it baggy and slightly uncomfortable.

"Sorry, that's my sweater. We wanted to put you in something so that you wouldn't freeze." Harry told her. Audrey looked over at him, her expression filled with so much sorrow that he could hardly stand it.

"Where did you bury her?"

"That's the last thing that you need to be doing right now." Hermione instantly said. "We'll show you later."

"I want to see where you put her." Audrey's lower lip began to quiver as Hermione just sat there with a straight look on her face. "Please take me there." She began to cry as Hermione shook her head.

"Come on Hermione, just take her." Harry said. Hermione glared at him.

"It's going to upset her too much." She insisted.

"You're upsetting her right now by not fucking taking her!" Ron exclaimed with a finger pointed at Audrey. The poor girl sniffled, wiping her face and trying to calm down.

She would not be a bother, she would not be a bother, she would not be a bother…

"Stop fighting, I'll take her." Harry spit out. He stood up and helped Audrey to her feet, walking her away from their small camp site. Audrey leaned against him heavily, but Harry didn't seem to mind holding her up. They walked for quite a while, at least it seemed that way to Audrey. Harry finally brought her to a large pine tree. It wasn't anything special, but Audrey could see the freshly turned dirt at the base of the tree. Audrey stood there, staring at the loose pile of dirt. It was then that she noticed a small date that had been carved into the wood: November 29th.

"We didn't know what else to put; we thought that you'd have something that you'd like to put on there." Audrey thought for a moment, slowly sitting down so that she could rest her legs.

"Could you put Alice Carol on there?" She asked as Harry sat down next to her.

"Alice Carol Malfoy?" Harry asked with a cocked eyebrow. Audrey slowly shook her head.

"No, just Alice Carol." Harry nodded, slowly wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Audrey hadn't realized how cold she was until Harry covered her. "Why did this happen?" She whispered, feeling the tears slowly start to return.

"Hermione said that it may have been because of your age or because it was your first pregnancy…but we won't know unless we take you to a doctor…and we can't risk that." Audrey nodded, quickly wiping her face to try and hide that she was crying. "I'm so sorry." He muttered. Audrey let out a shaky sigh, no longer able to control her tears.

"Do you think that Draco will be mad at me?"

"How could he be mad at you?" Harry asked with a scowl. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"But…I feel as if I could have done something to save her…" Harry shook his head as Audrey shuddered.

"You can't beat yourself up about this. It's very sad and it's okay to be upset, but this wasn't your fault." Harry gently rubbed her shoulder as Audrey gently rested against him. "Do you think that you'll leave him now?" Audrey picked up her head with her brow furrowed.

"Why would I do that?" She asked innocently.

"You've got no reason to stay with him."

"I love him." She stated, but even Audrey didn't believe that when she said it. "At least I think I do." She whispered, biting her lower lip.

"No offense, but you're sixteen, how could you know what love is?" Audrey slowly stood up and Harry quickly stood up with her and held onto her hand to help her keep her balance.

"I think that I need to go lie down." She said, stumbling back and slowly heading towards camp. Harry leaned forward and grabbed her hand, causing her to stop and turn back to him with big eyes.

"Audrey…let me be the one to protect you." He whispered. Audrey stood there, completely torn and confused on what she should say.

"But…what about Ginny?" She asked quietly. She forgot how she knew, but Harry and Ginny were supposed to be together…well not together, but close enough. Audrey had no right or reason to come between them…but maybe, deep down, Audrey wanted to be with Harry. He was the only person that would ever be able to understand her past. They didn't have any family, so as long as they were together they would never know the abandonment that they had known all of their lives.

"I like her…but…I can't stop thinking about you. And every time that you mention Malfoy I get so jealous…I can't stand the thought of him touching you or just being near you because you are…you're too good for him. Like Ron was saying, you could be with any man that you wanted."

"And you want me to be with you?" Audrey asked softly. "I'm married."

"You married an adult when you were a minor without parental consent." Audrey grimaced.

"My…father was there." The word was extremely bitter and foul as it dropped from her mouth.

"That's hardly consent." Harry said, shaking his head. "Any court in the world would annul your marriage once they hear the circumstances." Audrey suddenly noticed that she and Harry were still holding hands, but she didn't pull her hand away. She slowly stepped towards Harry, gently wrapping her arms around his torso. Harry held her, resting his hand on top of hers. She noticed how similar Harry was built compared to Draco. The only thing that was really different was their smells. Draco smelled like expensive cologne and whiskey while Harry smelled like nature and the inside of the Weasley home. Harry's hug was comforting while Draco's hug was…forced.

"Just let me help you…let me protect you." He whispered into her hair despite the bun on top of her head.

"I…I'm sorry, I don't know what to think or say." Harry pulled back, looking into her sad eyes.

"Go lie down, you should rest." Audrey nodded, leaning once again against Harry as they walked through the woods back to camp.

"I'd like something to eat too." She said gently. "And maybe…some water?" Harry smirked, slowly nodding.

"I'll take care of it."


	37. Chapter 37

Long chapter, aren't you pumped? And, yet another cliffhanger!

...

"We have to go back?" Audrey stared up at Harry with confusion on her face. "I thought that we've been traveling to stay away from Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic." Harry nodded.

"Yes, but we think that the last Horocrux's are inside Hogwarts. We have to go back and destroy them…if you don't want to go, we can keep the tent set up here for you." Hermione nodded, looking extremely tired with two books resting on her lap.

"We'll come back and get you when everything's done." Audrey stared at her, hesitating to ask the obvious question: what happens if you don't win? What happens if it's a year later and Audrey was still living in the tent? No, this was going to end now, live or die.

"I want to come with you." She told them. "I know that I'm not the best witch, but you could probably use me to bargain for something. They need me; they'll do what it takes to keep me safe." Harry quickly shook his head with a stern look on his face.

"We're not going to give you away…if you want to come, then you're going to stay and fight with us." Ron said, leaning against a large tree.

"But I won't be any help." Audrey insisted.

"Having you there will be more than enough help." Harry said, offering her a small smile. Hermione looked between the two and she couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow.

"All right, let's pack up and get moving." She said, quickly standing up. "We need to get there as soon as possible."

They were on the move in less than thirty minutes, everything strapped to their backs as they walked through the woods. While Audrey and Ron took the lead, Hermione and Harry casually hung back. She quickly glanced at him before saying anything.

"Audrey certainly is a sweet girl." She said. Without thinking, Harry smiled and stared at the back of Audrey's head.

"Very sweet." He said. "I can't believe that she thinks that Draco's a good person."

"She knows him in a way that we don't. Sadly, her circumstances have done exactly what they wanted them to do: she loves Draco." Hermione watched as Harry grimaced. "Sometimes, we can't fix a problem that we see…sometimes we have to just let things be." Harry looked over at Hermione, understanding what Hermione was saying and he wasn't happy about it.

"I want to help her." He insisted.

"Then help her, but don't try and rip her from the life that she knows." Hermione could see that Harry was biting the inside of his cheeks, trying not to cause a scene. "She's extremely vulnerable right now and needs to be comforted…so stop flirting with her." Although he was pissed off, he couldn't help but blush as Hermione stared.

"Let's not talk about this."

"I won't talk about it as long as you stop flirting." Hermione shot back.

"I'm not flirting!" He exclaimed under his breath. Hermione quirked an eyebrow.

"Then why were you gone for so long when you took her to the grave? And when you got back, you stayed by her the whole night." Hermione shook her head as she adjusted the pack on her back. "Face it, you've got a crush on her and she might have a crush on you." Harry sighed, not wanting to pursue the conversation any further.

They quietly walked side by side before Hermione increased the pace and caught up with Audrey and Ron. The four chatted for a few minutes before going silent, preferring to listen to the gentle wind blowing through the trees. As they approached the small village twenty miles from Oxford, they hooded themselves, or in Audrey and Hermione's case, put scarves over their heads. They always strove to keep attention off of themselves; to look like just another face in the crowd. They hid their hair and did what they could to hide their features. They couldn't tell you about the numerous pollyjuice potions that they had gone through as they traveled further away from London. It was always present in their mind about their current situation. If they were found, they would be brought straight to Lord Voldermort. Audrey would live and would be used in whatever way they wanted to use her, but the other three would be killed; there was no question about it.

They arrived at the small train stop in the village, just in time to catch a train headed for London. While they sat close together, they didn't speak. Their nerves had been shot and if they said anything out of the ordinary, they could be spotted and captured by Voldermort's various followers. They were everywhere and would strike at any time if they thought that you were against them. Anything could set them off; at this point, there was no such thing as being too careful.

When they reached London, Ron and Harry disappeared into a seedy pub while Hermione and Audrey huddled under a lamp post as rain sprinkled down on them. They were stuck there for at least twenty minutes until Ron poked his head out the front door and motioned for them to come inside. They ran in after him, instantly pulling off their scarves and shaking out their soaked hair.

The bar reeked of old cigarette smoke and stale liquor. Audrey was instantly overwhelmed as they stepped further under the dim lighting and sloshing through a dingy caret that probably hadn't been cleaned since the place opened. Ron led them back behind the bar and then into a back room that was better lit than the actual bar area. He led them silently through the room and then down a narrow hallway where Harry was waiting for them. He stood before a painting framed in a simple gold frame, but it was merely a background. Audrey stared at it curiously as they all stood there, seeming to be waiting for something. Faint footsteps began to echo around them, but when Audrey looked down the hallway, she saw that nobody was coming. She looked back to the painting on the wall and was surprised to see a shadow followed by the appearance of an aged man with a full white beard. Although she had gotten used to moving and talking paintings, Audrey was still startled.

"We don't have much time." The man told them, his voice scratchy and worry knitted across his brow. The golden trio nodded while Audrey stood completely confused.

"What's going on?" She asked quietly. "How is this going to help us get back to Hogwarts?"

"It's complicated." Hermione explained. "We're going to try and travel through the paintings and sneak into Hogwarts. That way we can get around You-Know-Who." Audrey stared at the old man in the painting and was amazing when Ron and Harry started to hand their things to him. They passed through easily and before she knew that to say, Ron had kneeled down in front of the painting and Harry was holding out his hand to Audrey.

"We have to hurry, you go first." Audrey quickly took his hand and delicately stepped on Ron's knee, climbing into the painting as quickly as she could. As soon as she passed through the odd membrane, her body tingled and she shuddered. The old man helped her to stand and regain her balance, offering her a kind smile.

"Don't worry, the tingling will go away in a few minutes." Audrey nodded, returning the smile as Hermione climbed in followed by Ron and Harry. They gathered their things and began to walk behind the man as he led them down a winding hallway. Audrey was intrigued as they walked, looking from side to side. On the left were other frames and other people and sometimes animals. And then on the right, there were various backgrounds of castle walls and sometimes beautiful fields.

It started to occur to her that all of the portraits were connected by this dim, narrow hallway. The thought was absolutely mind boggling, so Audrey chose not to dwell on it any further. There were far too many other things that needed her attention. The most prominent thought in her mind was Draco. He was probably there along with his parents and her father, readying themselves for the fight that would occur. What would she say to him? Would he ask about Alice? Would the others take her back and lock her away again until this whole thing was over? Or would they ignore her and kill her along with the others? She feared what would happen in those first few moments of seeing each other after her escape. Hell, they may not have even realized that she was gone.

They were walking for almost half an hour without so much as two words passing between them. The man brought them to a quiet corner, a painting of a small pond with a little bridge that disappeared into nowhere. The frame was dark and Audrey had a hard time seeing what was on the other side.

"This is where you wanted to go, right?" The old man asked, stopping them beside the frame. Harry nodded and took out his wand, whispering a spell and holding out his wand into the dark room. After checking the room for a few minutes, he threw his pack in and climbed into the dark place. They cautiously followed after Harry, bidding the old man goodbye and watching him totter off back to his painting. Audrey awkwardly pulled out her wand, noting that this was the first time that any of them had used magic. She tried to recall the spell that would make her wand light up, but nothing was coming to mind. Jeez she was a bad witch…

"Lumos." Hermione said, reading the distress written on Audrey's face. She managed to get her wand to glow brightly and finally got the chance to look around the room. It was just a dank floor with four crusting walls. It looked like they were in a basement that belonged to a very old house, making Audrey very uncomfortable.

"Where are we?" She asked, feeling her skin crawl as she examined the peeling paint. If she blew, she was sure that the paint would flitter away from the wall.

"You know that tree outside, the Whomping Willow?" Audrey nodded, looking over to notice a small doorway that led down an even darker hallway. "We're under it." Audrey looked up, but she couldn't see any sign of being underneath a tree. They all started to move towards the hallway and Audrey rushed after them, regretting being the tail end of the line. The cement and paint gave way to an awkward stone floor and a dirt floor and ceiling. She ducked down as loose roots began to gently knock into her head. She reached out and grabbed Hermione's shoulder, holding on for guidance and comfort.

The walls around them suddenly shook dirt falling down on them in large clumps. Audrey leaned against Hermione as the aftershock rumbled around them.

"They're right above us." Harry muttered as they all stood completely still.

"We need to get inside." Hermione said, her heart beating in her ears and making it difficult to hear anything. The group began running down the tight hallway, doing their best not to trip on the poorly laid stones. They squeezed up a small staircase and worked their way through a cramp doorway. Audrey squirmed with her backpack and pushed her way from behind this awkward statue. She knew the one that she was behind; that gigantic frame of a witch with a large hump. She couldn't remember the woman's name or why a statue had been created in her likeness, but all she knew was that the statue was large and very annoying.

Finally, she managed to stumble from behind the statue to see that the others were sprinting down the hallway. She instantly ran after them, her pack beating against her back with every thudding step. She was finally able to hear what was going on outside. People were screaming spells, bright lights flashing outside the windows.

"Audrey, come on!" Hermione called over her shoulder out of panic. Audrey's heart was pounding in her chest as she pushed herself to run as fast as she possibly could. Her calves strained under her jeans as she did her best to catch up.

"Audrey?"


	38. Chapter 38

Okay, since this is quite a long chapter, I figure that it's kind of a half double chapter Friday! I want to thank you all so much for all of the wonderful reviews and adding me and my story to your favorites list. It really means a lot to me and I really appreciate your continued support. And now, I must speak to you about something very serious.

This story has an epilogue. It's about 8 pages long and I'm wondering if I should post it or not. Honestly, it might depress all you people who want Draco and Audrey to stay together, but I want to ask you guys what you think. Please let me know!

...

Audrey suddenly slowed her thundering pace, standing straight with heavy pants of breath puffing from her lips. She slowly turned around with a thin drop of sweat trickling from her temple down her cheek. It took her a moment to absorb what she was seeing. Draco was standing at the end of the hallway with Crabbe standing behind him with blood dripping down his face. While she was terrified at the sight of the blood, her heart soared when she saw Draco. She smiled softly, feeling tears brimming in her eyes.

"I'm so happy to see you." She whispered, unsure if Draco had even heard her. Suddenly, Harry grabbed her hand and yanked her away, making her speed up and sprint beside him.

Draco, who had been sent to investigate some strange magic coming from a restricted section of the castle, had been completely relieved to see Audrey standing in the middle of the hallway. But as soon as Potter grabbed her hand and pulled her away, he was absolutely livid.

"Drop her hand, Potter!" He screamed, instantly running after them as they darted around the corner. He made himself run faster than he had in his entire life and burst around the corner, but found that all four of them had disappeared without a door to cover their tracks. He suddenly found himself absolutely irate and ready to tear Potter apart. At least he knew that he would get his chance very soon…and then he would get Audrey back…

…

Audrey rested against Harry, both of them panting heavily as Ron and Hermione waited for them to recover. They had dove into some strange opening, a room that they called the Room of Requirement. Audrey had never heard of it, but she was happy that it was here.

"He looked so angry." Audrey whispered with her breathing finally under control. Harry nodded, running a hand through his hair.

"How do we get to everybody else?" Hermione asked nervously. Audrey stepped away from Harry, her eyes adjusting to the darkness around them.

"We're cornered." She muttered. "What do you think Draco will do if we go back out there?"

"Kill us." Harry instantly responded. Audrey glanced over at him with a furrowed brow. Harry sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, he wouldn't kill you, but the rest of us he would kill."

"What if we scaled out the windows?" Ron asked. "Obviously we can use our magic again, so why not put it to good use?" He shrugged his shoulders as Hermione rushed to the tall windows and pushed them open, sticking her head out cautiously and looking around.

"We're on the ground floor right by the courtyard." She said as she slipped back into the room. "I don't see anybody out there…it's an absolute mess out there. If we run we could make a break for the Great Hall and at least see if anybody's in there." Harry quickly nodded and darted for the window, jumping out and helping the others out. They dashed across the courtyard and in through the main entrance, happy to hear some familiar voices as they slipped inside and went straight for the pair of large doors. Harry pushed open the door, making the few people that were inside go silent, but it was not long lived as the four all filed in. They were quietly hugged by people with huge smiles on their faces. Audrey was surprised that she received just as many hugs from complete strangers. She was relieved when Mrs. Weasley pulled her into a tight embrace with tears streaking down her cheeks.

"I'm so happy that you're all safe." She said, gently rubbing Audrey's back. The young girl smiled, happy to rest in Molly's warm embrace. When the two separated, Molly's eyes glanced down to Audrey's stomach. Audrey blushed and pulled her jacket tight around her.

"She's gone." Audrey whispered. Molly gently petted her hair, doing what she could to comfort her.

"You know, when I was first married, I lost my first child. And now I have seven healthy children. It's normal to lose your first child, especially for somebody as young as you." Audrey nodded, but she couldn't stop the tears from flowing. "You'll recover and have plenty of healthy children, things will be all right." Audrey nodded, wiping her face of any tears. Molly put an arm around Audrey's shoulders, knowing that the mere physical contact would bring great comfort to the poor girl.

As Audrey listened to Harry begin to regale everybody with the tale of their long journey, she began to look around the once warm and welcoming room. The tables had been moved out of the way to make room for cots and large supplies of stacked food. In a corner of the room, Audrey saw long sheets covering what Audrey could only assume to be bodies. Her stomach clenched as she began to count the bodies that rested next to each other. She stopped after twenty, not wanting to imagine all the people that had died because her father was a power hungry monster. She was ashamed and hoped that nobody would ever find out where she came from.

Audrey desperately wanted this to end well. She wanted her father to die and she wanted Draco to take her far away from here. She wanted her friends to live long and meaningful lives, free of worry or danger. Perhaps one day somebody would tell her why her father was so determined to take control of the magical world and how he came to hate Harry so much, but she knew that today was not the day.

No, the goal of today was to stay alive.

"Audrey, are you all right?" Audrey looked back towards the small circle, obviously confused.

"I'm fine." She whispered, tucking hair behind both of her ears. "Forgive me, I wasn't paying attention."

"We were just suggesting that you stay in here where it's safe." Harry gently explained to her. Audrey glanced around the circle with her wand still clutched in her hand.

"I know that I'm not the greatest witch and I probably won't be much help, but I would like to go outside…to find him." Harry grimaced and looked away from Audrey, the frustration obvious on his face.

"Audrey, he's on the other side." Hermione reminded her softly. "He's…evil."

"No he is not!" Audrey exclaimed. Molly held her close, shushing her with a whisper. Audrey's lower lip trembled, but she held back her tears. She knew that she would never be able to convince them that Draco was a good person, but she wanted to make them believe.

"Just let her go." Ron muttered. "They won't touch her; she's too valuable to them." Everybody around them looked confused, but the four remained silent despite their questioning eyes.

"She can do whatever she wants." Harry said before he turned away and headed towards the main door. Slowly, they all followed and were soon in the courtyard. They all began to panic when they would no longer hear the cries of wizards and witches fighting. They snuck around the back and slipped into the large crowd of their friends and many supporters. Audrey, remaining close to Molly, stood on her tip toes to try and see if she could find Draco. She was also concerned with the surprising silence that surrounded them.

"We will ask you all one more time!" A voice echoed over them, making Audrey jump. "We have sadly misplaced a very dear person to us and we would like her returned. We are looking for a very sweet girl, many of you know her. Her name is Audrey."

Audrey sunk back down onto her heels, instantly recognizing Lucius's cold voice. Of course he was the one doing all the talking; to be in such a high position was what he had always dreamed of.

"We know that you have her. If you don't hand her over now…well, you don't want to find out what will happen if you don't hand her over." Audrey slowly rose up on her toes again, sneaking another glance. She could finally see Lucius and next to him stood Draco with his eyes focused on the ground. He looked utterly melancholy and Audrey wanted to run over and give him a tight hug. Lucius suddenly glanced at Draco, muttering something to him with a scowl on his face. Draco shrugged his shoulders and gave his father a quick response, earning him a hard shove to the ground. Audrey didn't know what suddenly possessed her, but she pulled away from Molly.

"Please don't hurt him!" She called out, her voice ringing louder than she had meant it to. She made her way to the front of the crowd, excusing herself quietly with all eyes on her. When she managed to make it to the front, all she could focus on was Draco, who was still on the ground staring at her with wide eyes. She slowly walked towards him, suddenly aware of her shabby appearance. She wore ill fitting jeans with a baggy sweater that hung off of one shoulder. She hadn't been able to bathe for weeks and her hair was a greasy mess that had somehow been pulled into a long braid that curved around her neck and down across her breast. She shyly smiled as Draco stood up from the ground. They awkwardly stood apart from each other, the silence around them almost deafening. Audrey's smile slowly started to slip as Draco continued to stare at her. He was wondering why she wasn't weighed down with a huge belly or why she didn't have a small baby in her arms. She covered her stomach, avoiding his piercing gaze. In two wide strides, he pulled her into a tight hug with his head resting on top of hers. He smelled clean and it was refreshing to smell him without the hint of whiskey. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, letting out a heavy sigh.

"The baby died." She whispered. "It was a girl…but…I didn't get to see her before they buried her."

"As long as you're safe, it doesn't matter to me." He said, not ever wanting to let go of her. Part of him was relieved that the baby hadn't survived. That way, Voldermort and his parents wouldn't win.

"What are we going to do now?" She asked quietly, knowing that everybody was surely watching them.

"I don't-."

"Audrey, it's such a delight to see you again." Draco was suddenly pulled away and stumbled from Audrey, who was left reaching out and grasping for Draco. Lucius held her back with a cat like smirk on his face. "You're looking well, but you could use a shower. Still, your father will be very happy to see that you're alive and well."

"I don't want to see him." Audrey said calmly, standing away from Lucius with a glare on her face. She couldn't remember every glaring at somebody, but now was as good a time as any. Lucius shook his head, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

"That's no way to speak of your father. He cares about you, Audrey, and he only wants the best for you."

"Bull shit!" Draco spit out.

"Keep your fucking mouth shut!" Lucius screamed at him. "I've had enough of you and I won't hesitate to kill you, I don't care what He says after you're dead!" Draco sunk back, only to be grabbed and held back by two large men. Audrey began to shake, pulling nervously at her sweater. Lucius turned back to Audrey, the smile returning to his face. "Now, come along and we'll keep you somewhere safe until this whole thing is over." Audrey shook her head, stepping away from his outstretched hand.

"I don't want to fight with you." She said firmly. Lucius chuckled.

"We don't want you to fight sweetheart, we just want to keep you safe."

"I don't want you to keep me safe. I want Draco to keep me safe; I want my friends to keep me safe…I want to be kept safe from you." Lucius gave up smiling, letting the scowl rest on his face.

"I've protected you, I've fed you and clothed you, and you will show your appreciation and come here!" Audrey aggressively shook her head, balling her hands into fists. Lucius jumped out to grab her, roughly yanking on her arm. She cried out, tears instantly springing to her eyes as he twisted her skin. Draco pushed the two men away from him with his whole face bright red. With a force that Audrey had only seen once before, Draco pulled his father to face him and punched him as hard as he could. Lucius crumpled onto the ground, receiving a swift kick in the stomach.

Draco didn't offer his father a second glance as he strode forward and took Audrey's hand and led her away. He was done with his family and he knew that Audrey was done with them as well. The young girl did look back as Draco's pace picked up. Narcissa had rushed to her husband's side and was trying to roll him over, but Lucius merely pushed her away with a loud curse. Audrey rushed ahead and held on tightly to Draco's hand with her head resting on his shoulder. She wanted to cry, she was so happy. They walked towards the crowd of people, some looked uneasy while others had knowing smiles on their faces.

But suddenly, much to Audrey and Draco's horror, their smiles disappeared and were replaced with looks of sheer terror. Before Draco could turn and defend Audrey, he saw a bright flash of red sparks.

Then, everything went black.


	39. Chapter 39

Happy Christmas Eve all! And for a nice little present, I'm uploading chapters for you all! Thank you all for reading and making this story so popular! It's very thrilling to see that so many people are reading and enjoying this story! I really appreciate everything that you guys have done for me and just want you to know how grateful I am. Thank you all so very much, have a very pleasant holiday!

...

Audrey felt old.

The past month had been painful and she had been forced to make some very difficult decisions. Draco's father had somehow managed to get up despite the crippling pain that his son had inflicted. With his wand drawn and anger coursing through his body, Lucius had casted the ultimate unforgivable curse: the Killing Curse, Avada Kedavra. It was shocking and terrifying when Draco was hit and when he collapsed to the ground. Audrey didn't remember much after that moment, besides her screaming and crying. She had been told that somebody had taken her and Draco back into the castle, where she later passed out.

The next day, when Audrey woke up early in the morning, it was all over. Clearly, the good side had won and Audrey's evil father was dead. When she heard the news, delivered to her by Molly in a very calm voice, she felt a strange ache in the pit of her stomach. While she hated the man for what he had done and became physically sick at the thought of his face, he was her father and her only blood family. She felt the urge to cry, and when she looked back at an unconscious Draco, she did.

By some act of a higher being, Draco had somehow managed to survive the curse that his father had set upon him. He had been knocked unconscious and nobody was sure when he would wake up. Audrey sat next to him and waited patiently for any movements from Draco. After a few days of watching and waiting, Audrey began to accept the fact that Draco may never wake up. So, she determined that she would have to do what she could to continue on with life normally.

She convinced Arthur Weasley to give her a ride back to Malfoy Manor, which had been abandoned of all house staff. Arthur was kind enough to search the house from top to bottom for anybody that still might be there, but he couldn't find a single soul. There weren't any signs of Lucius or Narcissa and Audrey wasn't sure if they had survived the battle. It may have been possible that they were in hiding, but Audrey found that highly unlikely. She refused to stay in that gigantic house with just her and Draco, so Arthur helped her move their things into the guest house in the back lot of the Manor. It was a white cottage with forest green shutters and it was perfect for the young couple.

And in that cottage, where Audrey spent all of her days in silence, Draco finally opened his eyes.

It happened when he heard a loud clang from another room somewhere…wherever he was. Draco lazily rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up with a furrowed brow. He didn't recognize the location, but he recognized his mother's unique style of decorating. It was sleek with a touch of vintage and there always seemed to be a smear of green. He forced himself to get up from the bed, despite how stiff and sore he was. He stalked down the narrow staircase and stumbled into an open kitchen. Audrey was on her hands and knees, cleaning up a pot of spilled soup that had stained the black and white checkered floor bright, tomato red. She sighed, throwing down the soaking towel and looking up. Her jaw dropped when she saw Draco standing there. She scrambled to her feet and hugged him tightly despite the soup staining the front of her shirt and her pants.

"I was afraid that you wouldn't wake up." She confessed, holding onto him with a death grip. Draco quietly returned her eager hug, gently rubbing her back.

"Where are we?" He asked, his eyes darting around the room. Audrey pulled back with tears slowly trailing from her eyes.

"The guest house, you've been asleep for almost two weeks." Audrey absent mindedly stared at Draco's now ruined pajamas. "Come on, let's get you cleaned off. You could really use a nice hot shower." Draco smirked as she led him upstairs and into a small bathroom.

"I don't smell that bad." Audrey laughed as she started to water, reaching out her fingers to test the temperature.

"Yes you do." She shot back. Audrey undressed him, ignoring the fact that he was naked and balling up his clothing to take it downstairs. Draco grabbed her before she could walk away with a playful smirk on his face.

"You don't expect me to shower alone, do you?" He carefully eyed her over, his smirk widening. "Come shower with me, you're a mess." Audrey shook her head, stepping away from him.

"I need to wash these before they stain. You shower, let me take care of this." She left Draco standing naked in the middle of the room, his lofty hopes of sex washed away. He showered slowly, listening to her as she moved around the house. He thought that he was going crazy; the thought was echoing in his mind as he leaned his forehead against the slick wall of the shower. He had a dream of being in a hospital bed with Audrey and the baby sitting next to him, trying to convince him that everything would be all right. It was very obvious now that he was awake that things would not be all right…and Draco didn't know what to do about it.

When Draco heard Audrey come back upstairs, he quickly finished and pulled on a pair of black sweat pants that Audrey had left for him. He pushed back his damp hair and walked out of the bathroom to find Audrey making their king size bed. Just as she was tucking the quilt under the mattress, Draco came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her, gently kissing her neck.

"How are you?" He asked. Audrey turned to face him in his arms, smiling as best as she could.

"I brought up some tea and cake; you should have something to eat."

They sat in a little nook in their bedroom, looking out a window that faced the back of the main house. They couldn't help but stare, both silent as Audrey sipped her tea and Draco inhaled at least five small cakes. She glanced over at him, smirking as he downed all of his tea.

"Save some room for dinner." She told him. He looked up at her with a smirk and a cocked eyebrow.

"I thought that you spilled it."

"I have a back up." Audrey told him proudly. Draco smiled, leaning back in his chair with another steaming cup of tea.

"When did you become so domesticated?" He asked, truly impressed by the neat cottage and the delicious cake that was now resting in his stomach.

"I've had a lot of practice over the past few weeks." Draco beamed at her proudly, happy that Audrey had put such effort into making this cottage so cozy. Just as Draco was day dreaming about Audrey wearing nothing but a frilly lace apron cooking dinner for him, he looked over to see Audrey with a very worried expression on her face.

"What's the matter?" Audrey pushed back a few strands of hair, no longer able to stomach any more tea.

"What are we going to do now?"

"About what?" Draco asked before casually biting into a fluffy piece of lemon cake. Audrey watched him, worried that he seemed so relaxed and carefree.

"We don't belong here." He said firmly. "We should go somewhere…isolated." Draco sighed, pushing aside his cup.

"Let's stay here for a little while longer to make plans and figure out where to go." That didn't do anything to dash Audrey's worries. There were so many things that Draco wasn't thinking about and it was making Audrey panic.

"How much longer are we going to stay here?" she asked. "Should we go look for your parents?"

"No." Draco said firmly. "If they're alive, they'll eventually come back." Audrey gently pulled out her hair, shaking it out as she slowly stood up. She began to head to the bathroom to pick up Draco's towel, but he grabbed her hand and gently pulled her back. "You know, we never got a honeymoon." He reminded her, a seductive twinkle in his eyes. Audrey smirked, allowing Draco to pull her into his lap.

"Do you think that we need one?" She asked as Draco pushed aside her hair and began to kiss her neck.

"We not only need it, we deserve it." He whispered before gently biting her ear. Audrey shuddered, but wasn't ready to give in…yet.

"Don't we need to be somewhere tropical for this to count as a honeymoon?" Draco scoffed, picking her up bridal style and then tossing her onto the bed. She giggled as Draco jumped in after her, wrapping his arms tightly around her and giving her a good, firm kiss.

"It's been way too long since we've slept together." He told her, pushing her shirt up and over her head. Draco was overjoyed to see that she wasn't wearing a bra. She went to cover herself up, but Draco held her arms down and took his time to get an eyeful.

"Stop staring, it's embarrassing." She said with a small blush. Draco cupped her cheeks and kissed her, allowing Audrey to cover herself up. Although she was smiling, Draco could see in her eyes that she was still worried. He rolled off of her and pulled her in tightly to cuddle with her. He traced invisible, swirling designs on her shoulder as she finally relaxed into his chest.

"I promise that I'll do whatever I can to take care of you…I just need some time to figure things out." Audrey nodded, gently closing her eyes. Sleeping had been difficult for her because of the lack of space. She let Draco have the large bed upstairs while she was forced to find a place downstairs. While there was a plush couch in the living room, it didn't do much for Audrey. She liked to stretch out and she was very uncomfortable in such a confined space. But it was worth it was long as Draco was comfortable…and he was. And now Draco was awake again, so she would be able to sleep up here with him tonight.

"I trust you." She whispered. Draco smiled softly as he watched her drift to sleep. He was tempted to play with her a little seeing as she was still shirtless, but decided against it and allowed her to sleep. He kissed her forehead and slipped away from her, watching her roll over and clutch a pillow. He went downstairs to find a chicken baking in the oven with potatoes and carrots cooking with it. Draco ate in front of the TV that night, happy that Audrey had become quite the cook. Tomorrow he would have to start thinking of something to do, but tonight, he was content to just let them rest.


	40. Chapter 40

Just as I promised, another chapter! Enjoy!

...

Draco had never been fond of routine, finding them boring and horrendously predictable, obviously. But a routine with Audrey thrown in wasn't all that bad. Not to mention they had been fucking like clockwork, which always improved any day. Audrey was slowly learning and improving at her skill, but she still whimpered and blushed like every time was the first time. It was so fucking hot; Draco couldn't get over it. This was the best sex of his life and he was honestly surprised to see it come from Audrey.

Draco rolled over in their bed, his hands deftly grasping for Audrey. He opened his eyes with a furrowed brow when he felt nothing but blankets. He checked the bathroom before he trotted downstairs, entering the kitchen with a loud yawn. He suddenly stopped, slowly looking around to find that every cabinet door had been opened and was empty. He checked the fridge to find that it was also empty, save for one lone egg. He rushed into the living room, suddenly fearful that Audrey had left him. Why else would every single scrap of food be gone? Thankfully, he found her sitting on the couch, leaning forward with her face in her hands.

"What's the matter?"

"We don't have any more food." She said into her hands, which came out like a mumbled mess.

"What?" Audrey picked up her head, her eyes puffy.

"I said we don't have any more food." She repeated with a huge frown. Draco sighed, sitting down next to her.

"We have an egg."

"Please don't joke." Audrey whispered. "We're out of food and I couldn't find any money…but it's not like I could drive into town if I wanted to." Draco sighed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. He had given Audrey all the money that he could find when he had sent her away. He assumed that it had all gone to supporting her and the other three as they struggled to survive, so he only had one option.

"Come on, get dressed." He told her. "We're going to Gringots." Audrey followed closely after him as he went back to their bedroom.

"What's Gringots?" She asked innocently as Draco began to change.

"I forget sometimes that you're so sheltered." He muttered as he pulled on his jeans. "Gringots is a bank. My parents have a vault and…you have a vault." Audrey stared at him with wide eyes, remaining completely still.

"A vault…I have a vault?" Draco nodded, tossing her a blouse and a skirt that seemed to match.

"Hate to say it, but your father was very wealthy and left you with a small fortune…you'll never have to work a day in your life with what he left you." Somehow, that didn't make Audrey feel any better.

"I don't want to use any of His money." She said, finally changing her clothes and carefully braiding her hair.

"We should just take all the gold and use it so that we can move…like you want to." Audrey glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't you want to leave too?" She asked. "You can feel it too, right…that we don't belong here anymore?"

"I don't know, we've stayed in this cottage for weeks." He gently smiled at her as she pulled on a pair of sandals. "Getting out around people will help; we've just been cooped up in here way too long."

They walked around the gardens to the front of the house where the garage was. Draco wasn't surprised that their more expensive cars had been taken, but they had at least left a few of the practical cars that his father had bought on a whim. Draco made Audrey get into a black BMW while he went inside and got their vault keys. It was possible that Voldermort's account had been drained by other surviving Death Eaters, so Draco decided that if he had to, he would take all of his parent's money and take Audrey far away. His parents had a small summer home in Normandy, France that they hadn't been to or used since Draco was a toddler, before Audrey had arrived. If it was still empty and still belonged to them, maybe that's where he should take her.

Their drive was quiet, both finding that they didn't have much to say to the other. Audrey stared out the window in curiosity, watching as buildings and people passed by their car. Places were being rebuilt and the people that were walking around looked cautious and scared. Audrey was certain that everybody was still fearful and wondered whether or not Voldermort's death and defeat had really happened. Even though many of them had been there, they still didn't believe it.

Audrey sometimes didn't believe it…

She sometimes worried that her father had somehow survived and that he was just hiding somewhere until he was strong enough to try and take power again. Audrey just couldn't imagine ever seeing his face again. She just wanted to forget her lineage and start anew…with Draco.

They parked in a discreet lot, behind a large office building and next to an oddly placed brick wall. She stared up at the wall as Draco quietly checked around the corner to make sure that nobody was around.

"What is this?" She asked innocently, holding Draco's hand as he came to stand next to her.

"We're going to Diagon Alley, that's where Gringots is." Audrey watched as Draco pulled out his wand and tapped bricks in a very meticulous manner. The bricks began to move and they soon formed a tall doorway. Audrey was hesitant, but Draco pulled her in before she could voice her concerns. They darted from behind a large building and Audrey gawked at the sight before her. It was a long alleyway, filled to bursting with different shops. There were vendors with large stands, each one advertising their amazing products that were guaranteed to change your life. Audrey wanted to take her time and look at what each stand had to offer, but Draco continued to pull her along with a straight face. For some reason, he didn't look one bit happy to be here. When she looked around, Audrey suddenly understood why. Every person they passed stared after them, none of them trying to be polite or be discreet.

Audrey kept her head down and stayed close to Draco, gripping his hand.

"Why are they staring?" She asked quietly. Draco glared at the people who stared and let out a loud sigh.

"Because they know who you are." He replied. Audrey glanced up at him with wide eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"They know who your father is." Audrey paled, wanting to shrink into something so small that nobody would ever be able to see her.

"How do they know…did you say something?" Draco quickly shook his head.

"I don't know how they found out, but it was leaked to the papers." Draco had hidden the damn publication as soon as it had hit their doorstep. It was a choice that he regretted making, but he couldn't stand the face that Audrey would have made. She would have been devastated…of course, she appeared to be very devastated at the moment. Maybe he should have said something…whatever, all they had to do was drain the accounts and then they would never have to come back here.

They climbed up the narrow steps that led to the front doors of Gringots, not noticing the several men that followed after them in black robes. In a few minutes, they would regret not looking back.


	41. Chapter 41

Happy New Years Eve all! Sadly, only one chapter today, but this is only because I'm almost DONE! OMG, seriously, this story is almost over! So, no more double chapter Fridays. Sorry, but I just want you all to enjoy the story and I want to make the pleasure last as long as possible! I adore you all and I hope that you like this chapter!

...

Harry and Ron lounged in two lawn chairs, watching Arthur try to coax an enchanted muggle flamingo down off of the roof. It was an entertaining scene and was about the only entertainment that they got seeing as they were still on the mend. Their injuries were hardly severe, but Molly was overly worried about them so they indulged her and kept their activities limited.

Molly and Hermione strolled outside from the kitchen, Molly carrying the mail and newspaper, and Hermione carrying a tray with drinks for the five of them.

"Arthur, will you please give up on that damn bird and focus on the weeds instead?" Molly yelled at him as Hermione handed Ron and Harry a glass filled with sweetened lemonade.

"I doubt that he'll give up that easily Mum." Ron called out before chugging the entire glass and handing it back to Hermione. She took it back with a slight scowl, but as Harry watched, he knew that Hermione wanted to take care of Ron. There was no way that those two could hide their affections for each other any longer.

After calling for her husband at least a dozen more times, Molly gave up and returned to the three to sit beneath a shaded bench. She began to go through the mail while Hermione picked up the newspaper. As she unfolded it to the front page, her eyes glued themselves to the slowly moving picture that took up almost the entire page. Above the picture read the headline 'Riddle Captured.' In her large vocabulary, Hermione couldn't find the words to express how horrified and upset she was. Hermione held out the paper for Harry and Ron to see, waiting for them to react.

"What the fuck is this?" Ron asked, angrily snatching the paper away from her while Harry leaned in with terror in his eyes. They stared at the picture, which focused mainly on Audrey. She was handcuffed in the backseat of a car. She was looking from her lap to the camera taking the picture. There were tears in her eyes and every time she looked up, all three were reminded of a caged animal. Hermione took back the newspaper, going to the back page where the entire story was displayed in front of her. There was a smaller picture of Draco being led to the car, but Hermione ignored it as she began to read.

"_Yesterday, in the lobby of Gringots Bank, Audrey Riddle and Draco Malfoy were arrested by aurors. They were intercepted trying to withdraw money from two separate vaults. Draco Malfoy was arrested on suspicion of being a Death Eater and aiding You-Know-Who. As reported last week, it has been confirmed that Audrey Riddle is the only child of You-Know-Who and was arrested for public safety_." Hermione slowly lowered the paper, only to see the troubled looks on Ron and Harry's faces. "They arrested her…?"

"I don't understand…can't they see that she's the most innocent person on the fucking planet?" Ron asked angrily. "This is just some plot from the Ministry to regain power."

"It's a smart move." Hermione whispered as she turned back to the front page to stare at Audrey's picture. "What better way to prove that you're in control than to capture the last bit of supposed evil that's left?" She folded the paper, tossing it aside with a tired sigh. "They're going to punish her as hard as they can…they might try to kill her if they get enough public support."

"They can't kill her!" Harry exclaimed. "We'll testify for her; we'll go to the Ministry and tell them that they've got everything wrong." Hermione shook her head.

"It will take more than that to get her out. Everybody is so united and they'll want to take down whatever remains of You-Know-Who."

"So they'll kill her just to flex their muscles?" Ron asked, slumping back in his chair.

"I didn't say that they would…but it's a possibility."

"Will she stand trial?" Harry asked, finding that he had suddenly calmed down considerably.

"Definitely, they'll relish the opportunity to rip her apart in front of everybody…they'll probably execute her in public as well if it ever comes to that."

"We need to do something." Ron insisted. "Let's go there today and demand to see her!" Hermione shook her head.

"It's too soon after her arrest." She insisted. "Even if they took into consideration who we are and what we've done, they still wouldn't let us anywhere near her. It would be best to wait a while until things calm down a bit."

"I doubt that that's going to happen." Harry muttered. "Knowing them, they'll try and get a story about her in the papers every day." Hermione sighed, silently agreeing with Harry. Ron scowled in his chair, snatching back up the paper and going to the back to read the rest of the story. Hermione sighed, leaning forward with a sad frown.

"I know that you want to help, but I think that it would be best if we waited…let's give it at least a few days." Ron began to wiggle his feet impatiently, angling his body away from Hermione. "I know that being patient isn't your forte, but you have to try."

…

Harry had been right.

Every day, Audrey's life was plastered across the front page of the paper. Pictures of her as a child were printed along with stories of her childhood. The trio could only watch in horror as Audrey's name was dragged through the mud. When a story about her life in prison came out in full detail, none of them could take anymore. They took floo powder and went straight to the Ministry, where Audrey and Draco were being kept for trial. It took some serious bargaining and they pleaded with various aurors and people in charge before they were finally allowed into an empty room and told to wait. After almost forty five minutes of waiting, the door opened and Audrey walked in accompanied by two aurors. Her face instantly lit up when she saw the three, but she remained still as the two men undid her handcuffs, but kept on her ankle chains.

"You have twenty minutes; you will be closely watched, don't try anything." One of the aurors told them with a straight face before walking the same door that they had come through. As soon as the door clicked shut, Audrey broke down sobbing and was quickly surrounded by the three. Hermione lingered with Audrey in her arms, tears streaming down her face.

"You look awful." Hermione blurted out. Audrey pulled back, shrugging her shoulders. Her hair was rough and pulled into a messy braid while she wore black and white striped shirt and pants; the typical uniform for a prisoner. There were dark circles under her eyes, but Audrey was honestly happy to see three of her only friends.

"I know, but I can't do much." She said, wiping off her face and letting out a heavy sigh. They all sat around a metal table, the three of them watching Audrey closely. She looked depressed and as if she would start crying again. She was distressed without the slightest bit of hope for her.

"Audrey, we're going to do whatever it takes to get you out of here." Ron said sternly. Audrey smiled at him, but there was so much sorrow in her eyes that she couldn't truly show him how happy she was that he was there. She was thrilled that they were all here.

"Thank you." She whispered. "But I go to trial tomorrow…I don't know how you can help." Audrey stared down at her hands, her shoulders starting to shake. "They say that they have enough evidence on me to put me away for life…and my lawyers keep quitting on me and-."

"Do you even have a lawyer?" Hermione suddenly asked. Audrey nodded.

"Yes, but I don't think she likes me very much…and I don't think that she believes my story."

"That's disgusting." Hermione spit out. "I can't believe that people are so ruled by fear that they can't even give you a fair chance." Hermione pursed her lips together, her face bright red. "I'll be your lawyer." Hermione insisted. Before Audrey could protest, Hermione got up and knocked on the door. It was quickly answered by one of the aurors, who already looked pissed off.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Please call Ms. Lidder's current lawyer and inform her that her services are no longer needed…Ms. Lidder has new legal representation." She turned away from him with a wide smile; swinging her hips proudly as they man stared after her with a dropped jaw. He composed himself and quickly left as Hermione sat down across from Audrey, who could only stare.

"Do you have a plan?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded confidently.

"You have nothing to hide." Hermione told Audrey firmly. "I know the truth and you know the truth and no matter what, no matter how much they may yell at you or threaten you, that is all that you're going to tell them tomorrow. I doubt that they have any evidence on you; if they're not complete idiots, they'll let you go."

Hermione could see Audrey hesitate. This was clearly a very terrifying situation that would make the bravest men fall to their knees. Hermione was asking Audrey to trust her in a life or death situation where a single mistake could cost Audrey her life. But the young girl smiled, gripping her hands in her lap.

"I trust you."


	42. Chapter 42

This is a fairly short chapter, so happy double chapter Friday!

...

That next morning, Hermione arrived at the Ministry hours before Audrey woke up. She was let in by a confused custodian and parked herself outside of Audrey's cell with her file splayed out in front of her on the floor. She went over her strategy for court carefully, going over witnesses and making sure that she had come up with any and all possible questions to ask. When Audrey did wake up, Hermione was allowed in and helped her get ready, even shooing away the aurors so that Audrey could have a proper shower. Audrey was able to make her skin glow when she dressed herself in the clothing that Hermione had brought for her. Hermione kept her young and modest, bringing her a white blouse with a tweed skirt, tights, and a pair of flats. She had her hair back in a bun and wore no makeup to show the people in court how naturally beautiful she was.

As they walked down the hallway heading towards the elevators, they met up with Ron and Harry, both looking equally handsome in their suits. They surrounded Audrey and she suddenly felt very relieved to be shielded from view.

"How many reporters are up there?" Hermione asked.

"Way too many to count." Ron said.

"We're going to make a very dramatic statement walking her in." Harry commented. Hermione nodded with a confident smirk.

"Yes, we're saying that she's not evil and we're willing to put ourselves on the line to defend her and prove her innocence." Audrey stared down at her feet, feeling her palms start to get clammy.

"Will something bad happen to you guys if I'm convicted?"

"First off, you're not going to be convicted." Hermione told her over her shoulder. "Secondly, we wouldn't want to live in a world where people allow fear to rule them and consequently innocent members of society are punished." Hermione pursed her lips together as they arranged themselves in one of the many elevators.

"I'm sorry if anything bad happens to you after today." Audrey said over the quiet elevator music.

"Don't apologize." Ron told her, gently nudging her in the arm. "We know that you would do the same for any of us." Audrey smiled at him, but suddenly paled when the elevator dinged and the doors slowly opened. They were instantly ambushed by hundreds of flashes and questions assaulting their ears. Audrey kept her head down and hid between Harry and Ron, who were both happy to shield her. The photographers were all caught off guard by the presence of the Golden Trio, a nickname given to them after their story had been published in a long newspaper article. An aisle had been cleared for them, but the aurors were fighting hard to keep the photographers at bay. They were hungry for a picture of all four of them together.

They were grateful that photographers weren't allowed in the hall, but sadly reporters were still allowed and had crammed themselves into the room. Hermione and Audrey walked to their front table while Harry and Ron sat behind them in the front row. Each reporter was scribbling on their small notepads, recording their every movement which would later be written about in the article that would be published tomorrow. There were dozens of reporters desperate to ask why the Golden Trio was there, but they kept quiet for now as Hermione organized her papers at her table.

"Ms. Granger, this is quite the surprise appearance from you." Minister Fudge commented, sitting in the middle of the large council of witches and wizards.

"Well this is quite the surprising trial, so my appearance seems appropriate, don't you think?" Fudge glared at her, but court was called to order before he got the chance to come up with a comeback to shoot back at her. Everybody sat at attention with their eyes focused on the cowering young woman. She looked up at the large council as Fudge stood up with a piece of parchment in his hands.

"Ms. Riddle, you are charged with conspiring to overthrow the Ministry of Magic and have been deemed a threat to the public's safety and well being. We have gathered today to hear the evidence in your defense and in your prosecution. This council will then deliberate and decide if you are innocent or guilty. If you are convicted of these crimes, you are eligible for the highest form of punishment: death by public cursing. Do you understand the charges against you and the process of this council?"

Hermione glanced over at Audrey to find that she was staring at Fudge with the most intense gaze that Hermione had ever seen. The fear was suddenly gone from her face as she stared down the group of adults that were all clearly very frightened of her. In that moment, she was truly hopeful; Hermione could see it. Audrey believed that Hermione would see her through this, no matter what.

"Ms. Riddle, please answer the question: do you understand the charges against you and the process of this council?" Audrey suddenly smiled at him, making the color drain from his face. It was a normal smile in Hermione's opinion, but for some reason it struck fear into the hearts of every person on that council.

"Yes sir, I understand."


	43. Chapter 43

Yay double chapter Friday! Enjoy!

...

That first day, the prosecution took center stage to present their case against Audrey. Their strongest evidence came from various maids and cooks who had some very dramatic testimony. There were also letters between Lucius and Narcissa writing to various Death Eaters, discussing plans for Audrey's upcoming role. They would never specify what it was, so the conclusion was drawn that she was to take over with her father and Draco Malfoy. Every time testimony was presented, they talked about how Audrey had been sheltered and had been taught by private tutors. They talked about how smart she was and how she was always looking to please those around her. And with every witness, the prosecutor always brought up Audrey's lineage. It was slowly becoming very apparent to Hermione that their strongest evidence against Audrey was her father. No matter what Audrey said, she would never be able to shed the legacy of her father. So it was true; they only wanted to lock her away because they were afraid that she would snap and kill them all. It was just pissing Hermione off more and more.

Halfway through the second day, the prosecution rested and they were dismissed to prepare for day three. As they walked out of the courtroom, the trio was outraged to find the prosecutor bragging to photographers and reporters that he was confident that Audrey would be put away for a very long time. The next morning, it was Hermione's turn to present Audrey's defense. Even though she felt like kicking the prosecutor in the knees, she ignored him and stepped before the council. She called Harry and Ron to testify, both profusely denying that Audrey had anything to do with Voldermort or his plotting for the conquest of the Ministry. She then called Molly and Professor McGonagall and the three other friends she had from her Hufflepuff dorm room. Each person proclaimed that Audrey was the innocent party in this whole ordeal. All the while, the council watched Audrey closely with lazy eyes. Hermione got the impression that they weren't buying anything that was being said. It was more than likely that they had already decided to condemn her to life imprisonment, possibly even death.

At the beginning of the fourth day, Hermione decided to all her final witness. The council was already bored when Hermione stepped forward with her head held high.

"I'd like to call my final witness, Mr. Draco Malfoy."

The silence in the court became strained as two aurors left the room and returned moments later with Draco, dressed in the same prison clothing that Audrey had been forced to wear. He hadn't been allowed to shave and he was now sporting a good amount of pale peach fuzz. He sat in front of Hermione with his hands and feet bound by heavy chains. He was sworn in, but couldn't keep his eyes away from Audrey. She was about to cry from the sight of her husband in chains. They had been separated from each other and she had been so worried about him and wondering what had happened to him. Hermione smiled slightly at him, pleased to see him return the smile.

"Good morning." She said, flipping open her file folder with only a few pieces of parchment inside.

"Good morning." He replied with a polite nod.

"Would you please state your name for the record?" She asked him, crossing the room with her eyes focused on Draco.

"Draco Malfoy."

"And would you please tell us what your relationship is with my client?" Draco's eyes flicked over to Audrey as she sat with her eyes fixated on him.

"She's my wife."

There was an audible gasp in the hall. It was like a moment from an overly dramatic movie when a big secret had just been revealed at the climax of the film.

"Mr. Malfoy, when did you first meet my client?" Draco leaned back in his chair, trying to get comfortable while still wearing his chains.

"I was five years old when she came to live with us."

"And how old was she?"

"She had just turned three." Hermione nodded, setting down her file and leaning against the table. In the few days since the trial had begun, she had gotten the feel of an extremely experienced lawyer and she exuded confidence.

"And could you tell me about your life growing up with my client?"

"We would be kept apart from each other for most of the day and we really only saw each other at meals."

"So you saw her every day?" Draco nodded.

"Yeah, until I left to start school." Hermione nodded, pushing away from the table.

"Now, we all know that you attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but where did Audrey go to school?"

"She stayed at home and was tutored by three women, I can't remember their names." Hermione nodded, glancing down at her papers before looking back up at Draco.

"Did Audrey ever go to school with you?"

"Yes."

"And when did she start?"

"January of last year, it was her sixth year." Hermione smiled.

"She must have been excited."

"She was." Draco commented. "I had never seen her that happy when we arrived at school." Hermione nodded.

"Mr. Malfoy, could you please clear something up for us? Why did my client move into your house at such a young age? Surely she must have had a family and a home." Draco's eyes hardened as he looked over at Audrey with a heavy flush on her face.

"Audrey moved in with us because we were engaged."

"It was an arranged marriage?" Draco nodded, the scribbling of at least a hundred different quills recording his every word.

"Yes."

"And obviously you two got married; you're wearing your wedding ring." Audrey leaned forward to see that Draco was indeed still wearing his white gold wedding band. She didn't know why she hadn't noticed it before when they were living in the cottage. Speaking of rings, where was her wedding ring? Not that she enjoyed wearing it; the thing was monstrously large. She just wanted to wear something to symbolize that she was married.

"When did you two get married?"

"June seventh, the night that we got back from school." Hermione nodded thoughtfully.

"Was my client involved with the planning of this wedding?" Draco shook his head.

"No, it was a surprise wedding; my…mother put everything together."

"So Audrey had nothing to do with picking out the flowers or the guest list or the dress?"

"Objection, sir, relevance?" The prosecutor demanded, getting up from his seat. Hermione glanced over at him with narrowed eyes.

"I'm presenting my case." She spit out.

"I question your abilities, Ms. Granger, since you are not a trained professional in the matters of magical law." Hermione glared at him and crossed her arms, but remained in her spot.

"Article two, section three, subsection B, paragraph two, and line six states that a lawyer is not necessary in a trial. A defendant may choose to defend themselves any way that they see fit." Hermione looked back up at Fudge, letting out a little sigh. "May I continue with my questioning, please?" Fudge nodded, clearing his throat.

"Please continue." Hermione smiled and watched with smugness as the prosecutor was forced to sit back down at his table.

"Mr. Malfoy, why was there a marriage arranged between you and Audrey?" She asked. "What was the purpose of your marriage?" Draco sighed.

"At the time, I was told that they wanted me to get her pregnant and hopefully she would have a boy…and You-Know-Who would finally have a male heir that he could raise and mold into whatever he wanted." Hermione nodded as the people in the hall hung on Draco's every word.

"And did Audrey become pregnant?" Draco swallowed the lump in his throat, keeping his eyes on Audrey. Her head was down, her eyes focused on her shoes.

"Yes."

"And what did you do when you found out that she was pregnant?"

"I sent her away and told her to get out of the country."

"So you had no contact with her at all?" Draco shook his head. "And you had no idea where she was for almost a year?" Again, Draco shook his head. Hermione nodded, glancing over at Audrey with a raised eyebrow. "Mr. Malfoy, do you love your wife?"

"More than I could ever express to her." He instantly responded.

"And do you think that she's capable of hurting others, like the prosecution has suggested?" Draco sighed.

"Never." He muttered, his eyes flicking over to Audrey. "If anybody should be on trial, it should be me." Audrey took in a shaky breath, tears streaming down her face. Hermione smiled at him, stepping back towards her table.

"Thank you Mr. Malfoy, no further questions."


	44. Chapter 44

I'm glad that you're all enjoying the chapters, but sad to say the story is almost over! I think there's like three or four more left, and then you'll all have to wait until I upload my newest story! Haven't decided what it will be yet, but I promise that it will be epic! Thanks again for the reviews!

...

The prosecutor tapped his fingers, standing up as soon as Hermione sat down. He was silent as he slowly approached Draco, his eyes narrowed.

"Mr. Malfoy, when you were talking about the purpose of your arranged marriage, you said something like you thought that you were just supposed to get her pregnant. I know that I'm paraphrasing, but that's basically what you said, right?" Draco nodded, his jaw tightening. "So I can assume that you later found out why you two got married?" Audrey furrowed her brow together as she watched Draco's cheeks turn bright red.

"Yes." He muttered through tight lips. The prosecutor smirked.

"And would you mind sharing that reason with us?" Draco watched the man closely as he strutted in front of the reporters with a huge grin.

"They found this rare spell-."

"And by 'they', you mean Death Eaters?" Draco nodded, agitated that the man actually had the balls to interrupt him. "Continue."

"They found a rare spell that could transfer a soul into an empty body. It said that before you name a baby, it doesn't have its soul…that was the whole reason that Audrey was conceived, but she was born a girl so they couldn't transfer You-Know-Who's soul into her body." The prosecutor chuckled.

"All right, so…what if the baby had been born a boy?"

"You're lucky that it was born a girl." Draco spit out. The prosecutor laughed again, leaning against his table with his arms crossed.

"Really? And what would have happened if it had been a boy?"

"Every single person in this room would be dead."

"You don't know that." He said, the smile quickly dropping from his face.

"You think that I don't?" Draco asked, sitting on the edge of his seat. "He would have killed you and he would have killed me and he would have killed Audrey! You're lucky that my child was born a girl and you're lucky that she died!" Draco sighed, choking back tears.

God his daughter was dead. She was buried in the middle of the fucking forest and he would never see her grave. He could never take that moment back…he could never take back a lot of things that he had been forced to do. But…he didn't regret his marriage to Audrey.

"You claim that your child would have been used to take over the Ministry?" The prosecutor asked, the smugness completely gone from his body.

"Yes…they would have kept making us have babies until we had a boy and then they would have killed us." Draco looked up at the prosecutor, who was slowly losing the color in his face. "Scared now, aren't ya?" The prosecutor cleared his throat, walking away from his table and walking towards Draco.

"So…you're saying that-."

"I'm saying that Audrey was kept in the dark until last year. She didn't do anything wrong and she never has done anything wrong. I'm also saying that this trial is ridiculous and unnecessary. Audrey's only here on trial because all of you are scared and want to lock up an innocent teenager just in case." Draco looked up to the council, specifically at Fudge. "If you lock her up just because you're scared, then you're taking one big step to becoming the next Hitler."

The air was literally sucked out of the room. Everyone was silent, the only noise being made by the scratching of the quills. When the scratching stopped, the silence in the hall pressed down on the people inside. Finally, the prosecutor sat at his table, a frown on his face.

"Thank you Mr. Malfoy, I have no further questions."

Aurors stepped forward and took Draco by his arms and led him out of the room. Audrey quietly cried as she watched Draco disappear through the doorway. Hermione stood up, clearing her throat to call attention back to her.

"Sir, the defense rests." She said with a quick nod before sitting down. Fudge kept his eyes on Audrey as she tried to wipe her face, her mascara running down her cheeks. For the first time during this entire trial, Fudge finally felt a pang of sympathy for the girl that sat in front of him. The girl quickly became a victim in his eyes and he no longer feared her. Then he thought about how stupid it was for him to fear her in the first place.

"Then we'll adjourn and call the defense back when we have reached a decision."

…

Two days passed without a word from the council. Audrey was forced to sit in her cell without any contact from anybody. They had suspended her visitation rights, so nobody was allowed in, not even Hermione. They said it was to protect Audrey from the press, but most people could see what was going on. They were isolating her; it was almost as if they were punishing her for some odd reason. When it was finally announced that a decision had been reached, the hall was once again packed and Audrey sat once again at her table next to Hermione. The prosecutor also sat at his table, but this time he wasn't so confidant. Draco's testimony had poked a huge hole in the prosecution's case. Still, there was no way to tell which way the verdict would lean.

Hermione sat patiently next to Audrey, resting a hand on her shoulder to try and reassure her.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." She whispered. "Draco definitely got through to them the other day."

"How is he?" Audrey asked quietly.

"When I checked on him last, he was doing as well as could be expected…but they're still going to proceed with his trial next week." Audrey let out a shaky sigh, pushing back her hair. "Don't worry, he has two very good lawyers that are going to do everything in their power to try and get him acquitted." Audrey nodded, but she still felt frightened.

"What am I going to do if they don't let him go? I have nowhere to go…I don't have any family…"

"You'll stay with me. Don't worry, we'll figure everything out after we get you out of here."

"What if I don't get out?" She asked. The thought had crossed her mind dozens of times over the past two days and she couldn't seem to shake it out.

"You will get out." Hermione insisted. "If they don't let you out, I'll break you out." She muttered. Audrey smiled, the first time in a good solid week.

"I don't want to be a bother." She whispered.

"You have never been a bother." Hermione said firmly. "It's never a bother when you're helping a friend." The girls smiled at each other, but glanced up when the council slowly began to file in and take their seats. A woman, tall and with graying red hair, walked in last with a piece of folded parchment in her hands. When everybody had taken their seats, the woman stepped forward, putting on a pair of black framed glasses.

"After much deliberation by this council, we have made our ruling on the case of the Ministry of Magic vs. Audrey Riddle. Will the defendant please rise?" Audrey stood, smoothing down her skirt as Hermione stood up with her. "It is the decision of this council that Ms. Riddle is not guilty."

Audrey grabbed Hermione's hand, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging in shock. Ron and Harry both let out small cries of approval while the reporters grew restless with their questions. Hermione smiled widely, squeezing Audrey's hand.

"I told you that everything would be all right." She whispered. Audrey shut her mouth, swallowing the lump in her throat. She didn't know whether to cry or to laugh with joy.

"Quiet please!" The woman called out, instantly causing everybody to shut their mouths. "This council would also like to extend a very sincere apology to Ms. Riddle. We admit that this conviction was made out of fear and we have all reflected on this regrettable decision. Ms. Riddle, we are deeply sorry, we hope that you can forgive us." Audrey forced herself to smile when the woman looked up from her parchment at her. Fudge cleared his throat, standing up from the middle of the council.

"This case is closed; the defendant is free to go."

…

Within seconds, Audrey was surrounded by dozens of reporters, all cramming around her to get their questions answered. Hermione pushed them all back as she and Audrey scrambled for the door. They left and turned into the main lobby of the Ministry, where there were more reporters and photographers waiting for her. Hermione confidently approached them with Audrey right beside her, still in disbelief over what had just happened.

"Today, my client was acquitted of all charges. She received an apology for being put through this ordeal and…I am very excited to see her go home." Hermione smiled at Audrey who beamed back at her. "She will take your questions now."

"Ms. Riddle! Ms. Riddle!" Audrey blushed heavily as question after question was launched in her direction. She answered quietly, her eyes focused on the floor. Audrey tried to remain calm and answer their questions to the best of her abilities, but there was one question that did shake her.

"Ms. Riddle, do you plan to divorce Draco Malfoy?" Audrey looked up, finally giving the photographers the picture that they had been dying to capture.

"There are no plans for divorce." She said firmly. "I love Draco and I plan to stand by him."

"But he's been convicted." A reporter called out. Audrey instantly looked to Hermione, who looked just as surprised as Audrey.

"He's on the roster for next week." Hermione said.

"He was tried yesterday and they decided right there. He was sentenced to four years in Azkaban."

Audrey suddenly began to hear very loud music, no longer able to hear any more questions. With a loud crash, Audrey's eyes rolled into the back of her head and everything went black.


	45. Chapter 45

Sorry, no double chapter Friday, but only because the next chapter is going to be a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE chapter! I promise, you'll enjoy it and love me for it! Happy reading and happy Friday!

...

The day before Draco was supposed to be taken away to Azkaban, he received a bit of a surprise. He received his first and only visitor. Dressed simply in a pair of worn, faded jeans and a green sweater, Audrey sat at one of the small visiting tables, her hair looking shiny and clean. She smiled at him when he walked in and slowly sat down across from her.

"I knew that they would let you go." He muttered. Audrey nodded.

"It's all thanks to you." She told him. "If you hadn't said anything, they would have locked me away forever." Draco smiled, suddenly finding his chains very restrictive. He wanted to hug her, but touching wasn't allowed and Draco was being carefully watched. Suddenly, Audrey's lower lip began to quiver. "I can't believe that you're going to be gone for four years."

"It won't be more than a year if I behave well…where are you staying?" He asked, trying to distract her from his current situation.

"With the Weasley's." She said, wiping away her tears and shrugging her shoulders. "The Ministry seized your parent's house and everything inside. They took everything…but they left the gold in the vaults."

"Did they take the house down in Lyon?" Audrey stared at him blankly.

"I'm not sure…but I can find out if you need me to." Draco shook his head.

"Don't worry about it." He told her. "Just promise me that you'll keep yourself safe and that you'll stay with the Weasley's, all right?" Audrey nodded, mindlessly picking at her sleeve.

"Yes...but I was planning on getting a job and finding an apartment and-."

"No." Draco told her sternly. "I know how you get about people doing stuff for you, but this time you need to smile and accept the help that they've offered you. Please…go back to school and accomplish something while I'm in there." Audrey stared at him, letting out a little sigh.

"Okay." She whispered. "I'll go back to school…what's left of it at least." Draco smiled at her and was happy to see her smile back.

"Promise that I won't see you in the newspaper, okay?" He asked, gently nudging her foot under the table. Audrey giggled at the brief moment of contact.

"Okay." She repeated. She smiled warmly, the tears finally gone from her eyes. "I'll be waiting for you."

"I'm gonna hold you to that." He said, tapping her foot again. Draco glanced over his shoulder to the auror that was watching them closely. "Hey, can I please hug my wife goodbye?" The auror eyed them for what seemed like forever before he stubbornly nodded. The pair was instantly up and in each other's arms, finding that they both had missed the warmth of each other. Draco buried his face into her neck, letting out a heavy sigh with a wide smile.

"I'm going to miss you so much." Audrey whispered, gripping him tightly despite the slightly foul smell that clung to Draco's skin.

"Write to me." He responded, kissing the side of her head before embracing her again.

"Of course, every day." She quietly swore. The auror suddenly pulled Draco back and Draco was ripped away from Audrey's warm grasp. She whimpered, reaching out to grab him, but he was jerked away. She innocently waved to him as he disappeared into the other room. He shut his eyes tightly as the auror walked him down a long hallway, quietly preserving his last sight of Audrey. He was hoping that her hopeful expression would keep him sane.

…

Back in the main lobby, Harry sat in a large chair, staring at the marble floor. He wasn't happy to be here and was patiently waiting to leave. Audrey had begged for somebody to bring her here as soon as she heard that Draco would be leaving soon. Harry had to admit, he was thrilled that Draco was finally going away. Personally, he felt that Draco deserved more time for playing such a large part in the Death Eaters and he couldn't believe that they hadn't even brought charges against him for marrying and having sex with a minor. But he had to keep reminding himself that he would be gone for four years. Four years of staying away from Audrey and not being able to influence her. She would be free to be herself…and maybe then she would see how silly she was by staying in this marriage.

A large door cracked open and Audrey stepped into the hall. She slowly walked towards Harry, who was standing by the time that she reached him.

"Are you okay?" He asked, noticing her red eyes. Audrey nodded, putting on her usual smile.

"Yes, I'm fine." She insisted. "It's just…it's going to be very hard, I'm going to miss him." Harry grimaced slightly as they began to head towards the row of fireplaces to travel back to the Burrow.

"I think being away from him will be good for you." He blurted out. "You can finish school and just be normal for a while."

"I can never be normal." She muttered. "We both can never be normal. People will always know us for who we were in the newspapers. I will always be Voldermort's daughter and you will always be the boy who lived…so what do we do?" Harry shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh.

"We have to try and live despite the stereotype that's been given to us. Don't worry, in twenty years we'll just be two names in the history books and kids will have no idea who we are." Audrey smirked.

"Can you wait twenty years?"

"No, I'm horrendously impatient."

Audrey laughed as they approached a large, free fireplace. She stepped in first, grabbing a large handful of floo powder. Before she could throw it down, Harry suddenly spoke up.

"Audrey…do you remember what we talked about in the woods…about you and me?" Audrey nodded, the magical fire gently licking at her knees. "What do you think? Do you want to give us a shot?" Audrey's eyes softened as she stared at Harry. She had never seen him so vulnerable before and she feared that her words might break him.

"Harry…you know that I can't."

"Can't or won't?" He asked bluntly. Harry was tired of tip toeing around the issue; he wanted answers.

"Both." She said. "I can't be with you and I won't let what I have with Draco be ruined." Harry felt his stomach clench from anger and pain.

"Everything you have with him is based on a lie." He spit out.

"My feelings for him aren't a lie." She smiled at him. "You're a very good friend Harry, but that's all that you'll be for me…I'm sorry." Harry roughly ran his hands through his hair.

"I don't want him to hurt you anymore."

"I know that he'll hurt me again." Audrey said, shrugging her shoulders. "And one day we might separate and we might end up hating each other, but we won't know unless we try. And what about Ginny? I know that you care about her, I've heard about you two sneaking kisses when Molly isn't looking." Harry had to nod. He couldn't deny that his feelings for the red headed girl had grown since he had moved into the Burrow.

"I don't want to abandon you." He admitted softly, feeling the pain in his stomach make his throat clench.

"You never will abandon me, because you're my friend." Harry finally managed to smile, despite the pain that he felt. Audrey threw down her floo powder and called out the name of the Burrow. She disappeared in a flash of green flames, leaving Harry alone in the hallway. He waited a few minutes, staring at the crackling fire with soft eyes.

Well…now that was over.

He knew that he should feel mad and upset about this, but he felt strangely optimistic. He figured if he couldn't be there for her romantically, he would just have to support her as a friend. For now, that would just have to be enough for him.


	46. Chapter 46

Since I can't sleep, I'm posting this at three in the morning! Yay no sleep...and yay long chapter! Yay for Draco getting out of jail and yay for lovely readers. Oh, and I double checked, there are only three chapters left. Better make the good times last!

...

Four years had passed by at an inhumanly slow pace.

Draco had made that conclusion after staring at the same four stone walls that incased him. In case you were wondering, that's 1460 days. 1460 days of total and complete isolation accompanied by long nights of no sleep and meals that looked as if they had already been digested. He had grown skinny with his hair down to his shoulders and a beard that consumed the lower half of his face. He was as white as a sheet and his hair had darkened considerably, going from its usual brilliant blond to a light brown that made him look paler than he already was. These conditions were more than enough to drive any man insane and Draco got to hear it almost every day. Men and women would be dragged from their cells, either crying or laughing from the madness that they were experiencing from being forced into those small four walls. Draco did his best to block out the noises of madness and sorrow, clinging to the memory of Audrey. He never received a letter from her, but he knew that it wasn't because she wasn't writing. He was forbidden from receiving mail and would only receive his letters after he was released.

And finally, that day had come.

The morning of his release, he was taken from his cell and downstairs, where a boat was waiting for him. The boat took him to the mainland and to a small cottage, where he signed his release papers and was declared a free man. He was then allowed to apperate to the Ministry, where he was given back his wand and was allowed to clean himself up. When the beard finally came off, he smiled at the smooth touch of his skin. He was given a separate change of clothes and was finally released. It had been the first time in months that he hadn't had chains on his wrists and ankles.

Draco stepped into the hallway with his small bag, containing a few personal items and exactly 1462 letters, all of them from Audrey. They weren't allowed to cut his hair, which he had pulled back into a ponytail. That only made him appear skinnier and he looked as if he were to pass out from starvation. He slowly walked down the hallway, not bothering to look at the faces that passed him by. They were all staring at him, but he didn't care. He had done his time and repaid his debt to society; they could stare all they wanted, he was a free man.

Draco hadn't expected anybody to pick him up, so he was headed towards a rental place where he could rent a car and drive to the Burrow. But as he passed a small bench where a lone woman sat, he suddenly stopped.

"Draco?" He looked back to the woman, who looked strangely familiar. She stood up with a smile slowly spreading across her face. "Don't you recognize me?" He kept his eyes on her face, finding her familiar features to be almost annoying simply because he couldn't remember her. "I know that I've changed, but I had hoped that you would remember your wife."

Draco's jaw literally dropped.

The woman that stood before him was a far cry from the shy sixteen year old girl that he had been forced to leave. She had grown into her features and now…she was absolutely stunning. And Draco wasn't just exaggerating because he was horny as hell, she was quite possibly the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen in his life. She looked like some ethereal flower child with her long wavy auburn hair. She looked beautiful and mature, such a distant image from that young girl.

"You…you…"

"I grew up." She said happily. Audrey took his bag in one hand and his hand in the other. "Come on, I'll take you home."

…

Draco followed closely behind Audrey, never daring to let go of her hand. They hadn't said a word to each other after they had left the Ministry. She was leading him home, and Draco found the quick journey all too familiar. She was taking him to Diagon Alley, but that was confusing him. The only people that actually lived in Diagon Alley were shop owners. He quietly wondered what Audrey had been up to these past four years.

As they walked through the bustling crowds, people made no secret of staring at him. They knew who he was, but he wondered if they were also staring at Audrey. If they were, it didn't seem to be bothering her. She pulled him to a café on the corner, holding up her arm as if to present it to him.

"Here we are!" She exclaimed happily. Draco looked up at the large corner building, finally letting a small crack on his face. A cheery brick building decorated with a white and apple green awning gladly boasted a matching sign that read 'Audrey's.' Draco could see through the large windows that the shop was filled with customers and the smell wafting from the open door was pulling people inside. "This is our shop."

"Our shop?" Draco asked. Audrey nodded, moving closer to him.

"I had to borrow some money from your vault…there was barely anything left in mine." Draco knew that the surviving Death Eaters would take what they wanted and leave. It didn't matter that the money was supposed to be for Audrey, they were going to do whatever it took to ensure their survival. "So now we're business partners." She said happily. "Do you want to take a look inside?"

"Of course." He replied quickly. They walked inside, Audrey beaming with pride. Although Draco was extremely quiet, Audrey could tell that he was impressed with everything that she had done. They squeezed into the café, edging their way to the front and behind the counter. There were four women working, all older and looking like somebody's grandmother, who all greeted Audrey with big smiles and cheerful hellos.

"Good morning everybody." Audrey called out happily. "This is my husband, Draco. He's finally come home." She said, the smile almost jumping off of her face. Each woman dropped what they were doing and gave Draco a hug that only a mother could give. He was happy to return the affection, especially when he saw how it made Audrey smile. When Draco turned back from his final hug, he found Audrey leaning over a large mixing bowl with a curious look on her face. She took a spoon from a drawer and dipped it into the bowl, tasting the running batter with a delicate tongue.

"What do you think, did I match it?" The woman asked eagerly. Audrey licked her lip, quietly thinking.

"It needs more vanilla." She said while walking over and setting her spoon into one of the many sinks. "But it's very good otherwise." The woman nodded as Audrey walked over and took Draco's hand. "Let's go upstairs; I'll make you something to eat." She took him to the back of the kitchen and to a large green door. Audrey quickly unlocked it and stepped back to let Draco walk in first. The walls were bare and painted a dull yellow, clearly not Audrey's choice. There was another green door at the top of the stairs and Draco turned the door knob, finding it unlocked. Draco's jaw dropped as soon as he walked through the door. Audrey didn't notice his shocked expression as she walked past him and set down her bag, slipping off her jacket and hanging it on an old coat hanger. She slipped off her shoes and began to tinker around in the kitchen as Draco stepped inside and looked around.

The flat was completely open, save for the small half wall that divided the small kitchen from the rest of the flat. The back wall was brick and the other walls, painted the same dull yellow, were almost completely covered with gleefully moving pictures and posters of bands and movies. There was a mattress and box spring sitting on the floor covered in knitted blankets placed in front of a clunky TV. It looked like a bohemian dream apartment, complete with its very own dreamy flower child.

"You still like mushrooms, right?" Audrey asked over her shoulder, whisking four large eggs in a bowl. Draco nodded, sitting down at the small, two-person kitchen table. She smiled at him and began to slice mushrooms and other vegetables with an impressive speed. She fixed him a large omelet, filled with his favorite things and pepper jack cheese sliced thickly on top, just like Draco liked it. God bless it, she had remembered exactly how Draco liked his omelet. "Go ahead and eat, I'll make some tea."

Draco didn't need to be told twice. He was finished with his omelet by the time that Audrey set down his cup.

"I'm amazed." Draco said after they sat silently for a few minutes. "You've got your own business…and you look incredible." Audrey smiled, crossing her legs under the table.

"I wanted to make a good life for us." She said softly. "So I went back to school, like you said, and then I went to culinary school in France, specializing in pastries." Draco couldn't keep the smile from his face.

"I'm so proud of you." He said. "You've achieved so much…by yourself." Audrey bit her lower lip, holding her mug close.

"Actually, I had a lot of help from Harry and the Weasleys." She tucked her hair behind her ears. "They let me live with them until the café took off and I got a place of my own."

"It's great." Draco had to force the smile to stay on his face. While he was happy that Audrey had found a strong support system while he had been away, he was not happy that it included Potter. But he would have to bite the bullet and accept the fact that Potter would always try to be part of Audrey's life.

Draco sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"So, I have one question."

"All right, what is it?" She asked innocently. Draco allowed the devilish smirk to finally break onto his face.

"How comfortable is the bed?" He asked in a low whisper. Audrey instantly blushed and began to giggle.

"I knew that you would want to do that." She muttered. Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"What can I say? It's been five years since we were together and I've been…very, very lonely."

Yeah, that was the least offensive way of putting it.

Audrey's blush darkened and did her best to keep herself from laughing again as Draco continued to stare at her suggestively.

"Okay." She stood up, gently shrugging off her short, flowing sun dress and stood before Draco in her thigh high black stockings and some surprisingly skimpy lingerie. "Do you want to go see how you like the bed?" Draco stared at her with wide eyes, his jaw hanging loose.

"I love you so much."


	47. Chapter 47

Well, only two more chapters...depending on whether or not I post the epilogue, which I haven't decided on yet. Some feedback would be nice, but I'll say this about it: Draco and Audrey have kids :) Let me know!

...

Draco instantly picked Audrey up bridal style, rushing over to the bed and putting her down. Audrey briefly wondered if it was a good idea to do this now when her customers could quite possibly hear them, but when she saw that smirk on Draco's face, she knew that there was no way that she could ever stop him, no matter how hard she tried. His shirt was gone in a second and Audrey laughed as he struggled to get his pants off.

"Slow down, I'm not going anywhere." She told him, casually pushing back her hair over her shoulders. Draco let out a heavy sigh, putting his hands on his hips and staring down at Audrey.

"It's been five years; I don't want to go slow. I shouldn't have to go slow, I'm fucking horny."

Audrey laughed even harder as Draco pushed off his pants and literally jumped out of his boxers. She coyly curled up her legs and leaned back on her palms, watching him with a cocked eyebrow.

"When did you get so sexy?" He asked as he slowly climbed on top of her and kissed her. Audrey smiled as he wrapped his arms around her only to tug at her thin bra.

Did he mention that the bra was lacy and see through and Draco could see every inch of her body?

It was driving him absolutely insane…

"I've had lots of practice." She whispered into his ear, letting her tongue dart out daringly to tease him. Draco pulled back with a raised eyebrow.

"With who?" He asked. Audrey giggled, gently pushing at his shoulders and sitting up.

"Right, like I've had the time to fool around with somebody else." She gently blushed as Draco pushed a few strands of hair out of her face. "The only man I've thought about is you." Draco closed his eyes, nuzzling her neck and ear and brushing her arm gently with his finger tips.

"What do you do when you think about me?" A blush broke out onto Audrey's face and spread across her cheeks. Draco chuckled, gently taking her chin and forcing her to look at him. "Tell me what you do when you think about me." Audrey averted her eyes and whimpered.

"Draco, please don't make me say it." She whispered, innocently furrowing her brow and pouting her lip. Draco gently kissed her before biting her lower lip, making her whimper again.

"I need to hear you say it." He said in a low growl. "Do you touch yourself when you think about me?" His hot breath gushed over her ear, making her entire body tremble.

"Yes." She finally said with her face and neck bright red. Draco couldn't control himself any longer. He pushed her back down to the bed, his hands going down her legs with a little sigh. He undid the clasp of her garter and slid her stockings down, kissing her calves and her thighs before resting his body on top of hers, pulling her close for an aggressive kiss.

Draco had dreamed about this moment since he had been shut away. He had hungered for her hot little body writhing underneath him with her eyes squeezed shut as she bit her lower lip to try and keep herself quiet. But Draco would manage to pull those screams out of her; he just needed a few minutes. There were very few times that he had masturbated while in Azkaban; most of the time he was just never in the mood. But the few times that he had managed to get himself off, he had always pictured this night. He was just so damn eager to get her naked and get into her.

The pair suddenly jumped when Audrey's slim cell phone began to ring on her small night stand. Without a second thought, she reached for it and flipped it open.

"Hello? Oh hi, how are you?" Draco ground his teeth and before the person could reply, he snatched the phone away from her and reared up with the phone held to his ear.

"Audrey's gonna have to call you back, she's in the process of pleasing her sexually deprived husband. And if you call back in the next four hours, you're going to have to listen while I fuck her until she passes out from an overload of fucking and drowns from my cum." Draco threw the phone down and looked down at Audrey.

"You…I just…that was Molly Weasley." She said, her face slowly paling. Draco cleared his throat, awkwardly looking away.

"Well…now everybody's going to know that I'm home…and we can avoid an awkward conversation." Audrey smirked, shifting underneath Draco with a small blush covering her face.

"So…you're going to fuck me so much that I'm going to pass out and then you're going to drown me with your cum…?" Draco chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"Well…I've got a lot built up…and I'm not letting you out of this bed until I'm completely satisfied." Audrey kept eye contact with him as he reached around and unhooked her bra, letting the straps slowly fall from her shoulders as he tugged the front of the bra.

"And how long do you think that will take?" She asked as Draco tossed the bra off to the side. He couldn't help himself; he grabbed on and started squeezing like he had never seen a boob before.

"As long as I fucking want, so stop with the questions and take your knickers off before I burn them off!"

…

Later that night, long after the café had closed for the day, Audrey stood in front of the stove, cooking a simple pasta dinner as Draco sat in bed watching TV. They had spent all day in bed, talking and entertaining themselves with various physical activities. While Audrey had grown up quiet a deal, she still behaved the same in bed.

Draco looked up when Audrey handed him a bowl before climbing into bed with him and gently kissing his neck.

"I'm glad that you're here, I hated eating and sleeping alone." Draco nodded as he devoured almost half of what was in his bowl.

"Me too." Audrey gently smiled as she watched Draco inhale her food. Compared to what he had eaten in Azkaban, her food must have tasted amazing. Well, at least at this rate, he would be able to put on some of the weight that he had lost. Draco furrowed his brow together when he noticed that Audrey wasn't eating. He knew that she had to be starving. "Is something wrong?" Audrey bit her lower lip, glancing up at him.

"I want to tell you something…but I'm afraid that it will upset you." She admitted. Draco shook his head.

"As long as it has nothing bad to do with you, you can tell me anything." Audrey set aside her bowl and stood up from the bed, slowly moving towards a set of dresser drawers. She opened the top drawer and pulled out a slim shoe box and quickly returned to Draco's side. When she opened it, Draco saw that it was filled with newspaper clippings. Audrey dug to the bottom and pulled out a long, thick article that boasted a front page headline. It read 'Malfoy Parents Arrested' and Draco's heart instantly sank.

"They found them two years ago, in the house down in France." She explained, pulling out more articles. "It was awful when they were brought back...there were riots in the streets…everybody wanted them dead."

"So what happened?" Draco asked, unable to bring himself to even look at the dozens of newspaper articles.

"Your father made a deal with the Ministry. He promised to turn over evidence and testify against almost thirty Death Eaters…all in exchanged for immunity."

"He's such a bastard." Draco muttered, suddenly feeling a heavy weight on his shoulders.

"I think the Ministry is worse for accepting the deal…but I guess it was too good to pass up." Draco went through the articles, seeing pictures of his father on the stand. Then he came across an article, the headline reading 'Husband vs. Wife.'

"What happened to my mother?"

"She was convicted and…she…" Audrey sheepishly handed him a wide article, keeping her eyes down. Draco quietly read the headline before letting the thin paper fall from his fingertips.

'32 Death Eaters Executed.'

"She's dead?" Draco finally asked after he swallowed the large lump in his throat. Audrey nodded.

"I visited her…a few days before she died…she apologized and told me how bad she felt about all that she did to us…and she wanted me to give you this." Audrey pulled out a slim letter, still sealed with a silver wax stamp boasting a cursive 'M'. Draco quickly tore open the letter and was disgusted by how his mother attempted to back pedal on her decisions and apologized as much as she could. She kept calling him 'my sweet angel' and 'love of my life'. Draco was inclined to forgive her because she was now gone, but he was too bitter to even consider letting this whole thing go.

Draco folded the letter and stuffed it back into its envelope, tossing it back into the box.

"What happened to my father?"

"He got immunity, but they asked him to leave and not come back. I think that he went to Russia and remarried, but I'm not sure." Draco nodded, watching Audrey pack away the many articles. Even in the end, his father couldn't bring himself to be a man and take the punishment that he deserved. As far as Draco was concerned, his father should be dead and his mother should at least be in prison…and he felt strangely sad that she was dead. While she had been cruel to him at times and forced him and Audrey into a situation that they didn't want to be in, that was still his mother.

Draco sighed as Audrey picked up the box and put it back where it belonged, all the while, keeping an eye on Draco.

"I never want to talk about them again, okay?"

"Okay." Audrey quickly agreed. "I won't say anything as long as you promise not to talk about my father." Draco smirked.

"Deal." He said. "Now will you please eat? You look like a fucking stick." Audrey giggled, picking back up her bowl.

"It's just because I've grown taller!"

"You would think that a girl who owns a pastry shop would at least be at a healthy weight. What, did you become anorexic or something?" Audrey frowned as Draco pulled her into his arms.

"There were a few weeks when I was getting the café started that I didn't eat…so yes, maybe I should eat a cookie." Draco kissed her hard.

"I'll give you something to eat." Draco whispered into her ear. Audrey gasped, wiggling in his arms as he pinned her to the bed.

"But I'm full!" She exclaimed, kicking but clearly not putting her full effort into getting away. She finally gave up, letting out a heavy sigh and resting against one of her pillows as Draco rested on top of her with his arms wrapped tightly around her. "I'm really glad that you're home." She whispered. Draco nodded, kissing her forehead before lying on his side and pulling Audrey close to him.

"Me too."

They stayed like that for a long time, the TV murmuring in the background and the smell of fresh tomatoes and basil hanging in the air. Draco looked down to see that Audrey had drifted off to sleep, her head pressed against his chest with a small smile still clinging to her lips. He pulled a blanket over both of them and shut his eyes, letting out a content sigh.

Yes, it was so good to be home.


	48. Chapter 48

All right, so this would be the last chapter IF I didn't post the epilogue...which I have decided to do. So net week, on Friday, I will post the epilogue and then this story will be done. So, I hope that you all enjoy the last actual chapter. Much love my readers, you've all been very kind!

...

The next morning, Draco woke up alone. It was a very unpleasant experience seeing as he had just been quite an awful ordeal. As he saw up in bed, it took him a moment to remember what had happened. He had been set free and he was back with Audrey. She had fixed him dinner…and they had had a lot of sex. It had been a very good day, but it now raised the question where had Audrey run off to?

Draco showered and dressed himself in clothes that he had found in one of the drawers. He found that Audrey had bought him all new clothing and she somehow expected him to become a flower child like her. All he could find were jeans and tee shirts that she had obviously gotten from concerts. He looked like a wannabe hipster that wasn't trying hard enough.

Draco walked downstairs and slowly entered the café. He peered around and was surprised to see that nobody was there. The lights were off and Audrey's employees were nowhere to be seen. The only light that was on was a light in the back room, where Audrey sat with several trays of cupcakes.

"Good morning!" She said cheerfully. "I'm glad to see that you're finally awake, I was about to go up and get you." Draco nodded, taking a stool and sitting at Audrey's table.

"Where is everybody?" He asked.

"It's Sunday, we're closed on Sundays." Draco sighed as Audrey picked up one cupcake from each tray and placed them on a smooth, flat platter.

"I didn't know that it was Sunday…I guess I'm a little out of touch." He muttered, running a hand through his hair. Audrey smiled at him, gently touching his shoulder and kissing his cheek.

"Don't worry about it, want to help me test?" Draco furrowed his brow.

"Test?"

"Yeah, every moth I come up with a specialty cupcake flavor; some customers only come once a month for the cupcakes." Draco smirked.

"You make your own flavors?" Audrey smiled proudly, pushing the large platter towards Draco.

"I experiment with different ingredients and after I pick the flavor I make a special frosting for it. Last month, since it was July, I made a lemon and raspberry infused cupcake with blueberry puree royal cream frosting. Then I made sugar crabs and put them on top along with a paper umbrella. Now I have to figure out something for August." Draco looked over the plate that she had set before him and smiled. They were all either white or green; there was even a sparkling silver one in the corner.

"Why the color choice?" He asked. Audrey shrugged her shoulder, blushing slightly.

"I wanted to do something to celebrate your homecoming…you still like green and silver, right?"

"I like the silver better." Draco said, picking up the small cake. As soon as he took a bite, his eyes went wide. "Oh my God." He mumbled. "This is amazing, what is this?"

"It's peppermint schnapps with a dark chocolate cream center." She said, picking up one of the silver cupcakes and taking a bite. "I was thinking a white chocolate butter cream frosting with maybe a chocolate mint on top." Draco eagerly nodded as he pushed the rest of the cake into his mouth.

"Yes, do that."

"Hello? Audrey, are you in the back?"

With a wide smile, Audrey jumped from her seat and ran to the front of the store. Draco slowly followed afterwards to see Audrey in the middle of a tight hug with Hermione. For a moment, Draco thought that it was going to be a relatively pleasant day, but then Ron and Harry walked into the shop and his mood instantly turned foul.

"Audrey, quick, pour me an ale!" Ron exclaimed as he slumped down at one of the tables.

"What's the matter with you?"

"Somebody's upset because he didn't do well in training this week." Harry sat down next to his friend, patting his shoulder. "Told you that it would be hard work being an auror."

"Just give me the damn ale."

"Drinking is probably what got you into this mess in the first place. You have something every night; do you ever read how many calories are in those?" Ron rolled his eyes as Hermione continued to pick at him.

"If you say one more word, I'm taking back the ring."

"Fine, take it, let's just see what your mother says when you tell her the news."

Draco watched them all closely, but especially kept his eyes on Audrey. All the while Ron and Hermione spat back and forth, she stood by smiling and laughing at every quirky moment. It managed to pull a smirk out onto his face as she tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Oh Draco, we didn't see you there." He suddenly perked up when he heard his name mentioned. They awkwardly stared at each other until Audrey rushed to his side, taking his arm with a wide smile.

"Isn't it wonderful that Draco's home?" She asked happily. "He was just helping me test flavors. I'm gonna go with a silver peppermint schnapps, right Draco?" Ron and Harry were silent with stone faces while Hermione awkwardly smiled.

"Yes…Molly mentioned that you were back…" Audrey instantly blushed and looked away from the others, who all had received a very interesting story from Molly last night.

"I thought that you weren't getting out for another month." Harry finally said with narrowed eyes.

"Nope, got out yesterday." Draco roughly responded. "So…do you all do this every Sunday?"

"We stop by every once in a while." Hermione said, trying to ease the tension. "Just to check on Audrey, you know, since she's alone most of the time. We don't like leaving her alone since she's so young." Draco slowly put an arm around Audrey's shoulders.

"Well, she's not alone anymore."

"That's not going to stop us from visiting her." Ron said, leaning back in his chair with his fingers lightly tapping on the small round table.

"You can't keep all of her friends away, no matter how much you try." Harry spit out. Draco stepped forward as if to take a swing at him, but Audrey pulled on his arm and held him back.

"I don't want you to fight." She said in a calm, low voice.

"I'm not going to fight with him…but Potter has to listen to me…because I wanted to say…thank you." He muttered. That almost knocked all of them onto their asses.

"What?" Audrey asked. Draco stared at Harry, who had let the glare slowly slide off of his face.

"I want to thank all of you for taking care of Audrey while I was gone. I'm grateful for your help. I can never repay you for all the time you've taken from your own lives to make sure that she's okay." Harry crossed his arms, looking away from Draco.

"We didn't do anything for you, we just wanted to help Audrey."

"Regardless, I appreciate it." Audrey softly smiled, resting her head against Draco's chest.

"Hey Audrey, where's my ale?" Ron asked with a raised eyebrow, the subject no longer interesting to him. Hermione rolled her eyes as Audrey laughed.

"Don't do it Audrey, he doesn't need any more help with that beer gut that he's got going." Ron groaned, pursing his lips together.

"Fine…I'll just settle for a cupcake…maybe two…"


	49. Epilogue

Oh my goodness everybody, this is it! The final chapter, aka the epilogue, of Darkness! I have put so much work and heart into this story, rewriting it over and over again until I knew that I had it right! I have to say, I've really enjoyed writing this and I'm thrilled that so many of you have enjoyed reading it. Currently, I am working on two stories, but it looks like the one that I'll be posting first will be the one involving Sirius and Lupin, but I swear not as a couple! I'm going to finish that story before I post it, just because I want to keep myself to a strict weekly deadline of posting, so it might take a while before I actually post the first chapter. It will be Lupin/OC/Sirius, so be prepared! I know, I keep writing OC, but that's just what I find interesting. There's already a story that JK has written, so I have to throw something in to make it a little more interesting.

Anyway, I really hope that you all enjoy the epilogue and I hope that you have a wonderful Friday!

3 Opera Dreamer

...

Fifteen years later, Audrey found herself running through the London station behind two ragged looking girls.

"Hurry girls, we're going to be late!" She exclaimed, tossing back her long hair as the two girls passed through the portal. She ran after them, letting out a small sigh of relief when she saw the bright red engine still resting on the tracks. The girls rested against their carts, waiting for their mother to catch her breath and fix her precarious heels.

"Mum, its Penelope's fault that we're late."

"It is not! I set the alarm just like Katherine asked me to!"

"Yeah, to the afternoon instead of the morning, stupid." Penelope, with her wide hazel eyes filled with tears, turned to her mother.

"Mum, it was an accident, I swear it." Audrey warmly smiled, placing a gentle hand on Penelope's shoulder.

"It's all right sweetheart, it's nobody's fault."

They walked through the station, dropping off their trunks at the baggage car and venturing off to find the girls' friends. Audrey followed her two girls, clutching her petite handbag. The girls had been fighting a lot lately, but it didn't surprise her. Now that Draco was gone, discipline was completely gone from their lives. She was just glad that they didn't have to mope around the house whenever Draco would disappoint them. Perhaps if Audrey started from the beginning, this would all make sense.

When Draco had first come home, everything had been wonderful. He had spent his days at the café, helping Audrey and learning cooking tricks from her. It was one of the happiest times in Audrey's life and was only made happier a year later when the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter that they named Katherine. Things were very good for the young couple and their pretty little daughter with her curly blond hair and bright hazel eyes, but they soon realized that the income from the café wouldn't be enough for them to live comfortably. Not to mention that they couldn't stay in their small flat forever. So, using the last connections that he had in the magical world, Draco managed to get a job working at the Ministry in the foreign affairs department. He worked hard and sometimes Audrey wouldn't see him for days. Still, their hard work eventually paid off.

When Katherine was two, the small family packed up and moved to suburban London into their own three bedroom house. The move couldn't have come soon enough, because several months later, their second child, a daughter named Penelope was born. As Audrey settled into her new life as a mother, she was sadly forced to sell the café that she so dearly loved. But still, the sell was not a major loss, at least not to Draco. He was being swiftly promoted and was soon in charge of all magical foreign affairs. In the eyes of the world, he had been redeemed and had shed the sins of his past. He basked in his glorious return and was happy to show off his young, beautiful family. But Audrey began to notice that the more powerful Draco became, the less that Audrey got to see him. To everybody on the outside, they were the perfect couple, but on the inside, they were slowly slipping away from each other.

Finally, after years of speculating and spending sleepless nights crying in the bathroom alone, Audrey asked Draco to leave. She packed a bag for him and waited for him to come home one night when she finally gathered the courage. It sparked their largest fight to date and Audrey hadn't heard from Draco in well over a week. It was actually a relief. She had been able to focus on the girls, especially Penelope. It was her first year away at school and she was extremely nervous.

Audrey's face suddenly lit up when she spotted her group; the only people that didn't know about her separation from Draco.

"Good morning everybody, happy train day!" She said happily, hugging each one tightly and acknowledging each child with a small kiss on the cheek.

"Hi Audrey, you're looking well this morning." Hermione observed with a wide smirk. Ron scowled, clutching a large cup of coffee.

"You've always been way too cheery in the mornings." Audrey smiled, watching Ron take a large gulp of coffee.

"It's nice to see you too Ron." She said, giving him a small nod.

"Are you excited for your first year of school Nellie?" Ginny asked, pushing aside her sulking brother.

"Yes Aunt Ginny." Penelope muttered, sticking close to her mother. The truth was that the poor girl was terrified. All her life, she had always been a daddy's girl. When Draco had left, she had started to panic. She needed her father for comfort and there was nothing that Audrey could do to make her daughter feel better.

"Where's Draco? He never misses this." Hermione had finally spoken of the observation that everybody had made. Audrey paled and her smile weakened as the question sunk into her skin. She had told the girls that their father was away on business, but couldn't bring herself to say it now.

"Dad's in France for some emergency business, he left last week." Katherine quickly said without giving her words a second thought. Audrey quickly nodded, but the expression on her face hinted that there was something else going on that the children didn't know about.

"That's too bad." Harry said, the sympathy in his voice insincere. Audrey tried to ignore him, but his comment cut her deep. Harry had never hidden his distaste for Draco, but had kept his mouth shut for Katherine and Penelope. The urge to gloat must have been killing him.

Conductors from the train began to call in the students, announcing the departure of the train that was about to happen. Audrey quickly hugged her daughters, making sure to give Penelope a good, tight squeeze.

"Have a good year at school girls, be sure to write me."

"Thanks mum."

"We will mum!"

Audrey happily waved at the girls as they boarded the train and quickly found a seat. Penelope was shy, but she was sure that Katherine would be there to guide her. The girls waved from their window until the train was out of the station, leaving the many parents standing there either prideful or tearful.

"So where is he, really?" Hermione asked quietly, standing next to Audrey.

"I asked him to leave." Audrey said simply, glancing over at her friend. "I was tired of always being alone…plus I think that he's found somebody else." Ron, Harry, and Ginny all somberly listened, watching in disbelief as Audrey gently smiled.

"How can you be sure that he was cheating?" Ginny asked as they all began to slowly walk towards the muggle section of the station.

"He goes to France without us when he doesn't have business…and he's always talking to some woman named Nicole, and nobody named Nicole works in his department." Hermione nodded, gently holding Audrey's arm as they walked together.

"I'm so sorry." Hermione whispered. "Is there anything that I can do for you?" Audrey quickly shook her head.

"No, I'll be all right. As long as he stays away, I'll be okay."

In all her life, Audrey never imagined that she would ever say that.

They walked through the station and to the streets where fall coats were quickly pulled on. As soon as Audrey stepped outside and tossed back her hair, she spotted a luxurious gray car with a Ministry seal plastered on the back door. She stopped and stared at the car and wasn't surprised when Draco, looking oh so charming, stepped onto the sidewalk. He looked her over as he slowly approached her, buttoning up his suit jacket.

"Did I miss it?" He asked, not even looking Audrey in the eyes.

"You know that you did." Audrey muttered, staring up at him with a quizzical gaze.

"Too bad…let me give you a ride home."

"I'm not going home."

"Leave her alone Malfoy, she doesn't want to go with you." Harry said, stepping between Audrey and Draco. Draco chuckled, looking extremely at ease.

"Maybe you should worry about your own wife." Draco leaned forward with a devilish smirk. "Don't let your wife know that you want to fuck my wife." Harry lunged forward, but Ron and Ginny managed to hold him back. Draco stepped back, still smirking. "Audrey, get in the car."

Audrey bit the insides of her cheeks, letting out a heavy sigh and quickly following Draco. She didn't want to go with him, but she didn't want a fight to break out. She slid into the car and kept silent as Draco sat beside her and the car pulled into traffic. Neither one of them said a word to each other until Draco finally looked over towards Audrey.

"You look well." He said, pushing back his hair. "Sleeping better, are you?" Audrey stared out the window, pulling her jacket tighter around her body.

"No, I haven't been sleeping well." Her eyes darted over to Draco. "Where did you go?"

"You mean after you kicked me out?"

"I did not kick you out." Audrey said firmly. "I asked you to leave and you left."

"Oh don't play so fucking innocent! You packed my shit and literally pushed me out the door." Audrey let out a shaky sigh, trying to keep herself from crying.

"Who is Nicole?"

"She isn't going to be part of this conversation." He quickly told her as if she were a child.

"She's part of your life, so she's going to be part of this conversation." Audrey said. "Who is she?" Draco remained silent, which only caused a great wave of anger to swell over Audrey. "If you tell me, I'll consider letting you see your children." Draco cocked an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm not going to stay in a marriage where I have to compete with another woman for your attention, I shouldn't have to compete with anybody, I'm your wife." Draco sighed, quickly checking his pocket watch before slipping it back into his pocket.

"As much as I'd love to continue with this childish conversation, I have to meet with my lawyers to discuss how we can end this as painlessly as possible." Audrey looked over at Draco's profile as he watched people and cars pass them by.

"Don't you see what we've become?" Audrey asked. "We're your parents…we hate each other." Draco flinched slightly.

"I don't hate you…do you hate me?"

"I don't know." Audrey said. "I don't think that I could ever hate you…even if you are having an affair." Draco sighed.

"I'm not having an affair."

"Please don't treat me like I'm stupid."

"You have to believe me, Nicole is the representative from France. She fancies me so I've been taking her phone calls to keep relations pleasant...I can see, though, how you might have made that mistake." Audrey bit her lower lip, staring at her shoes. "Just please let me come home, I'm tired of staying in that damn hotel."

Audrey couldn't understand why…and she didn't know how to feel. All she wanted him to do was apologize. Why couldn't he just say that he was sorry and promise to behave better? Even if he was lying, she would have believed him. She just wanted things to be like when Draco was first released from Azkaban; when he was affectionate and protective of her. Back when he would have done anything for her…that commitment was all that she wanted.

"Are we really getting a divorce?" Audrey asked quietly as the car took them to their comfortable house built on a full acre with trees all around them.

"I don't want one." Draco admitted, watching the driver get out and open Audrey's door. She didn't move and continued to stare at her feet. "I was going along with it because I thought that's what you wanted.'

"I was doing it because I thought that's what you wanted." Audrey looked up at him with a small smile. "I think that we've failed at communicating with each other." Draco nodded, beginning to smile.

"I would have to agree with you." Audrey sighed, pulling at the hem of her skirt.

"I'll let you come back…but there are some things that we need to change." Draco nodded. "First, you have to stop flirting with Nicole. Work or not, you're married with children and a relationship between you two is not an option."

"Done." Draco quickly agreed.

"And you work far too much; the girls hardly saw you this summer. Work out your schedule so that you can at least go away with us on a holiday." Draco nodded again, already planning out in his mind all the people that he could move around. "And…I need to know that you still care about me."

"That's absurd! Of course I still care about you, you know that!"

"Yes, I do know that, but it would be nice to hear it every once in a while." She shrugged her shoulders. "Is it so hard to kiss me and tell me that you love me?"

"I never see you."

"Because you're always at work…I know that you take pride in your work, but don't you value your family more? At the end of the day, we'll be there for you." Draco sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I know that…but I just want to make sure that you all will be taken care of if something should ever happen to me." Audrey smiled, scooting closer to him and taking his hand.

"We could live in a shack and only have our family and I would be so happy." Audrey gently smiled as tears began to prick at her eyes. "You're all that I've ever wanted." Draco wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her tightly against his chest.

"Then I'll never leave you, ever."


End file.
